Co-operative enterprises should base their futures on the values
that provide them with unique competitive advantage in the market place.
Co-operatives must learn from the experiences of successful co-ops
world over.
Co-operatives need to repair the image of co-operatives by lobbying
well with media, government and public for positive image building of co-operatives
so that the co-operative values remain relevant with the change of the economic
patterns.
Co-ops ought to try hard to positioning them as a reliable and preferred brand.
Marketing slogans for co-operatives must convey the fact that makes
co-ops what they are and what investor owned corporations never can be.
Co-op leaders, prospective leaders and managers, members and the
public must be educated and trained to know the standards to which co-ops are expected
to perform, and they must also buy into those standards and work willingly to meet
them.
Professionals inducted to manage the operations of the co-operatives
must have the required expertise and needed passion with a desire to embrace
the values of co-operatives in shouldering their responsibilities.
Co-operative leadership must groom second line for paving way for
the youths to understand the business of co-operative in a business like manner.
Co-operatives need to have a well focused approach to business,
governance and management with clearly defined rules for business and incorporate
reasonable and logical concern for community in a feasible and sustainable systemic
form.
Benefits through co-operatives must be showcased to broad base
the scope of co-operatives in bringing inclusive growth of economy through enabling
policy environment.
Co-operatives being business organizations with a difference ought to be
market focused but member driven with a Kaleidoscope thinking to reach out to any
market and serve any community poor or affluent.
Co-operatives need to have participatory process of decision making with simpler
and more transparent systems.
There is a need have attitudinal change in the mind set of
co-operative members and leaders who always treat co-operatives as the institutions
needing preferential treatment and support.
Co-ops need to give serious consideration to scaling up the impact of co-operatives
in the sectors / areas they venture in.
Co-ops should think big and keep their pace with the changes happening
in the markets as well as societies.