Laura Willis Dr Ariella Helfgott and Christopher Mardell are founders of @marinorockssocial owned by the Marino Rocks Community Coop. In this fourth and final interviews with #coop owners brought to you by @bccm (Business Council Cooperatives & Mutuals) we talk about how the #localcommunity rallied to buy a long-standing local cafe (and building premises) from the original #businessowner.
The #owner had attractive offers to sell the site to a #propertydeveloper but instead sold to the newly formed #coop which ensured that the #business stayed as a central #localmeetingplace.
It's an inspiring example of #communitypower and taking the initiative to form the #coop and buy this critical local business. In our discussion we cover;
- working with @bccmua and the process for registering the #coop
- why this #cafe and #meetingplace was so important in #marinorocks #southaustralia - without it the community wouldn't really have anywhere else that it can gather, to eat together and to have a glass of wine in the evenings
- how they rallied #locals and recruited members who ended up being locals and visitors from further afield
- how they then financed and purchased the business and #businesspremises
- the history of the #café back (1961 ) and it's origins as a #fishandchipshop, then #caferestaurant
- why the #businessowner was so instrumental and passed over more money to be part of it
- #buildingcommunity
- finding professional #hospitalitystaff
- #coopvalues and #coopprinciples
- generative rather than extractive relationships
- #sharedpurpose
- the power of #sharedownership and #commonpurpose
- #sustainability #purpose #sustainableseafood
- the #founders practical learnings for aspiring #coops
- and finally the big realisation - "If we don't do it, it's not going to happen" and away goes this business which was and remains a key part of the local commercial and social infrastructure
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Reach out to Michael Kerr via the website if you need personal assistance or advice for your small business.
michael.kerr@kerrcapital.com.au
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