I am a member of a coop and I believe this is a third way. We compete for business, take ownership and responsibility and accountability for what we do. We are democratic in the way we do business. I am looking for potential partners from the EBME community who would like to take some of this work from the bigger fish out there.
As you know, Phil, I have always been a proponent of co-operatives, and collaborative projects, myself. But (most likely due to my own failings as much as anything else) have never really been able to pull them off.
Perhaps I have been unlucky, but my search (over many years now) for "true buddies" with sufficient skill-sets (
etc.) who are willing to share in all respects has only ever turned up slim pickings, to say the least. Most blokes I have ever come across are happy enough to "join in" once things get going, but those who are willing to take on a share of the
risks (or, for that matter, the planning burden) as well are, shall we say, few and far between.
I'm pinning up this post now just to emphasise what you are saying. Who knows, perhaps someone will see it, and spark!
