Dill Pickle Digest January 2008
Hello Pickle People!
Below you will find some highlights from the month of January -
Member Update:
We are up to 140 members!
If you haven't done so yet please send in your second $50 membership payment or purchase the remainder of your $250 membership in full. This will dramatically help to speed up the opening of our storefront.
Fundraising Event:
The Dill Pickle Food Co-op Benefit concert on January 19th was a success even though the cold weather tried to keep us at home. Fun was had by all who attended and we raised close to $3000 for the co-op! Some pictures from the event can be found at http://www.flickr.com/groups/dillpickle
Business Plan:
The board has agreed to move forward with Zach Aarons from Apostate Partners. Zach will be working with the co-op to provide 1) a summary detailing the brand identity and strategy of the co-op, the competition, the management team, the business strategy, and the use of proceeds from the offering, 2) an analysis of different financing options available to the co-op and 3) a detailed spreadsheet of financial projections for the co-op.
Incorporation Update:
We are currently weighing the pros and cons of incorporating under Minnesota law or under Illinois law.
Training Series:
The Cooperative Development Services and the Food Co-Op 500 are offering a 6 part series of webinars geared towards understanding how a new food co-op is born. They are available free of charge on their website - http://cdsfood.centraldesktop.com/fc500registration/FrontPage
Storefront/Space Update:
The Space Committee will be meeting in the next couple of weeks to review proposals from prospective architects and will form a decision on which architect to use.
Next Board Meeting:
Scheduled for Tuesday February 19th at 6:30PM. 3039 W. Fullerton Ave. All are welcome to attend!
Get Involved!
There are many opportunities for anyone who has some extra time and/or energy to volunteer. We have special need at the moment for volunteers who have experience or interest in grant researching/writing and also fund-raising and developing our member loan program.
Please email picklepeople@gmail.com if you are interested.
Warmest regards!
The Dill Pickle Food Co-op