How to Make a Labor Co-op Work for You

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COMPILE THAT CATALOG AND DIRECTORY

As the completed applications are returned, compile your applicants' pro posed services into an alphabetical Catalog of Services. And, on a separate sheet or sheets of paper, list your Directory of Members (name, address, telephone
number, skill [s], and availability).

Make enough copies of both the catalog and the directory to mail to everyone in your new co-op (plus some extras for additional members that may soon come in) and mail them to everybody on your list. (With another note attached asking members to include a SASE with any future request for information.)

Eventually, as your co-op expands (ours did!), you can send out the Catalog of Services as part of your applications package. This will give potential members a better idea of the value they'll receive by joining your exchange ... butsince they won't receive a Directory of Members until they have joined-it'll leave control of the organization firmly in your hands.

Once things really get rolling, you might even (as Richard does) find yourself sending all co-op members a monthly update of new members and their skills and a status report on old members (who's on vacation, who now offers additional services, etc.).

Free Sig's founder, Richard Johnson -who has a real knack for organization-has even taken this idea one step further and cross-indexed the data in our catalog. He's assigned all the members of our exchange a code number and listed them under those numbers in our directory. Then, in the Catalog of Services, he's grouped the numbers under the various services offered, like this: CHILD CARE (4) (8) (23). Which makes it very convenient for us when we're looking up one or more members who off era particular skill or service.

BE RESPONSIBLE!

One special point about judging the qualifications of your co-op's members is in order here. If you want your exchange to really fly, you're going to have to be hardnosed enough to screen all the would-be members who profess to have either "professional" or "highly skilled" talents. After all, you don't want to discover-after the damage has been done! -that the guy who called himself a mechanic has, while acting out his fantasy, just busted the crankcase on another member's motorcycle!

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