How small towns create the services they need
Big changes are happening in small towns. Baby Boomers are approaching retirement. Urban amenities, career advancement, and higher wages are pulling many young people away…
Read More5 Governance Lessons We Can Learn From A Failed Co-op
Governance lessons come from many places. Sports. Family. Canoeing. The analogies are endless. But real-life business failures offer the best sources. Because failure — especially…
Read MoreThe Common Share: Good Governance Matters with Dr. Murray Fulton
What are the secrets to good co-operative governance? Dr. Murray Fulton and his colleagues at the Canadian Centre for the Study of Co-operatives have identified…
Read More4 reasons co-ops do better in a crisis
When the economy takes a downturn, it’s hard on businesses — small to medium business (SMBs), in particular — and not every business survives. Co-operative…
Read More3 ways the co-op model can save a business
Main Streets across the western provinces are going through significant change. Numerous businesses are or are about to change hands. If there are no buyers…
Read MoreHow to get faster rural internet with a co-op
Hamiota Mayor Larry Oakden and The Backroad Diaries’ Jack Thompson The rural municipality of Hamiota, Manitoba is full of creative thinkers who aren’t afraid to…
Read MoreWhy employees make good board members
Every co-op is governed by a board made up of member shareholders, and these directors generally bring different skills and experience to the table. Typically, boards…
Read MoreCo-op start-up struggles: a conversation with an Urban Farmer
Kye is a farmer. But he’s not your usual farmer. The acres he grows on depend on numerous locations and convincing people to let him…
Read MoreCannabis co-operative: a solution for small producers
The legalization of cannabis in Canada hasn’t been the boon to small producers that many expected. It’s been difficult for small cannabis growers to obtain…
Read MoreLeadership in Co-operatives
In this episode we speak with Cecile Green and Rebecca Fisher-McGinty from consulting firm Round Sky Solutions. Round Sky is a worker co-op that trains…
Read MoreA Conversation with Co-op Developer Patrick Lapointe
In this episode we speak to long-time co-op developer and advocate, Patrick Lapointe. As the former Executive Director (and now board member) of the Community…
Read MoreTechnology and the future of rural co-ops
The Future of rural co-ops During the transition from steam and horse to fossil fuel, the co-op model really began to prove its worth as…
Read MoreThe Future of Co-ops? A conversation with Nathan Schneider
Academic and journalist Nathan Schneider stopped by the Co-operatives First office to talk about his latest book, Everything for Everyone: The Radical Tradition that is…
Read MoreFederal economic statement: what’s in it for co-ops?
Kyle White, one of our in-house policy experts, weighs in on the federal government’s 2018 economic update and what it means for co-ops. The Canadian…
Read More6 tips for marketing your co-operative difference
Co-operative News once talked to marketing leaders from the co-op sector about marketing your co-operative difference. The responses both provided insight and reflected a few…
Read MoreEpisode 11: Fred Khonje’s Five Lessons about Co-op Development
Fred Khonje’s career has spanned the areas of community economic development, non-profit co-op housing, co-op and social enterprise business development, housing policy development, and social…
Read More3 essential ingredients in a successful co-op
A successful co-op has 3 main ingredients At its most basic, every co-op needs a champion with a vision, a group with a shared interest…
Read MoreEpisode 8: Five ideas leveraging the co-op advantage
In this episode, Aasa sat down with Dr. Dionne Pohler to discuss her keynote speech from the Saskatchewan Co-operative Association’s 2018 conference. The keynote focused…
Read MoreEpisode 7: The Importance of Board Diversity
In the last episode in our series on board governance, Audra, Kyle, and Aasa talk about the importance of board diversity. Having people with different…
Read MoreEpisode 6: Dealing with board conflict
In this episode, Audra, Kyle, and Aasa tackle what happens when things get contentious on a board. We discuss the kinds of board conflict directors…
Read MoreEpisode 5: Working board versus policy board
We dive right into the discussion of working vs policy board with a controversial question: Why do working boards suck? Being on a working board…
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