Run a co-op
Make co-operation work, every day.
Good routines make room for democratic ownership. Find a practical starting point for members, decisions, money and shared systems.
Membership & participation
Make joining understandable
Write down eligibility, the joining process, what membership involves and where people can ask questions. Check that working patterns, language, disability or caring responsibilities do not quietly exclude people.
A useful monthly check: who has joined, who needs an introduction and whose voice is missing?
Create a member induction
Adapt a welcome-pack outline covering purpose, rights, responsibilities, decisions and useful contacts.
Governance & decisions
Give decisions a clear home
Separate the decisions reserved for members from work delegated to a board, role or working group. Record what was agreed, who will act and when the group will revisit it. Use the rules to resolve uncertainty about voting or authority.
For each agenda item, say whether you need information, discussion or a decision.
Use a meeting and decision log
Separate updates, discussions and decisions, then record owners and review dates.
Money & administration
Know what is due before it is urgent
Keep a current view of cash, invoices, commitments and essential renewals. Assign responsibility for filings and accounts, and have another person who can locate the records. Do not rely on one member’s memory.
Review a calendar of deadlines alongside the cash forecast. Get accounting advice where needed.
Build a cash and admin rhythm
Build a calendar from confirmed filing, renewal and internal review dates without guessing obligations.
Working together
Share the work, including the invisible work
List recurring tasks such as facilitation, cleaning, customer replies and induction alongside paid delivery. Make workloads visible and agree how to raise a concern before resentment builds.
Use a short workload review, with concrete adjustments and a follow-up date.
Record difficult decisions clearly
Use an agenda and decision log so proposals, concerns, actions and follow-up dates stay visible after the meeting.
Technology & continuity
Keep control as people change
Record who owns each domain and account, who can recover access and where instructions live. Test whether a backup can actually be restored. Prefer tools the group can support over a complex stack only one person understands.
Take a handover seriously even when the departing member remains a friend.
Make a digital handover register
Record service ownership, responsible roles, renewals and recovery references without putting passwords in the register.
Review & development
Grow at a pace the organisation can carry
Review demand, reserves, member capacity and the effect of growth on participation. A new site, contract or membership group can change the decisions your rules need to handle.
Before expansion, write the decision, costs, risks and who has authority to approve it.
Bring in specialist support
Find organisations with formation, finance, housing, worker co-op and nation-specific expertise.