Chicken Co-op Request for Seminar
Gregory Wayne
Public
Seen by 11
Chicken Co-Op Seminar Request
Hi everyone, to start with, thank you so much for your patience, we took everything you shared with us to heart. We've been putting our chicken heads together to discuss our next steps and we believe we now have the right combination of knowns and unknowns to reach out for a follow up.
What do we have to show you?
Taking a step back from thinking about the administrative details, based on your advice we opted to focus on formulating a more concise vision of the way we'd like our co-op to operate. To this end, we have assembled preliminary drafts of the following documents:
-
A Business Plan: Containing:
Executive Summary
Introduction
Market Overview and Strategy
Organisation and Management
Production and Operations
Costings and Finances
You can find this document attached below.
Some sections are more fleshed out than others, but we feel it is at a point where we know what we are asking for and are prepared to explain our vision in greater detail.
What are we asking for?
We obviously still have many questions about this process, and as we move further along in this process we get closer to discovering what the right questions are. With that in mind we would like to ask for another seminar, 90-120 minutes, with the following breakdown.
-
20-30 minute presentation by the Chicken Coop team containing:
Distillation of business plan
Highlighting areas most in need of refinement.
-
Updates on progress regarding facilitation of payroll.
FSU is open to the idea, pitch preparation + negotiations
-
30-45 Minutes Information and Intelligence Sharing (Both Ways)
Animation Industry Insight
Neurodivergent Demographic Insight
Co-Opping Insight
FSU Operational Insight (Payroll etc)
Where would the seminar take place?
Pending poll results for when and where, FSU is prepared to host the ongoing Co-Operative seminars. Their meeting rooms are set up perfectly for hybrid meetings with surround microphones and speakers as well as webcams and a screen. The space is free to book (for us), large enough to accommodate ~30 people in person, with tea, coffee, biscuits, and enough space for catering.
Alternatively, a fully remote meeting is always possible, pending people’s availability and ability to commute.
What are the known unknowns?
We would like to highlight the areas in our business plan that would benefit from your expertise the most (ie the parts less fleshed out). There are a string of questions at the beginning of the business plan document highlighted in green, they are the following:
-
Determine whether we can work as an outsource location.
IE: If Netflix wants something animated, can we accept international funding?
-
What constitutes ‘community benefitting’?
Does employment of said community qualify?
-
Hiring Cycles vs ‘Co-Ownership’
how can people be co op members but also be employed on a project basis?
-
What should we be aware of with multiple types of workers and owners?
Freelance
PAYE
Members/Owners
Can membership be invitation only? Or is it inherently open to everyone?
How does profit sharing work?
-
Different revenue streams that social enterprises can avail of that ‘ordinary’ studios cannot.
What are clauses one can expect to be tied to these funds?
If you see anything else in the business plan that should be addressed in more detail, or should be prioritized more than it is, please let us know and we will adjust accordingly.
Thank you so much and we look forward to speaking!
Greta Spitczok von Brisinski Mon 26 May 2025 9:31AM
@Sam Toland Just popping in to say if you have any questions about the document or need any other info from us to decide how to proceed, just give a shout and we are happy to help! :)
Sam Toland Fri 6 Jun 2025 10:13AM
Hi @gregjwayne94 and @hummingbirdgreta - apologies for the slow response, you posted this at the start of my busiest time of year - I'm only coming up for air now. :) I should I send you a little holding message!
I've taken a look, and you are on the right track on the business plan and the work and thinking that is going into it.
You might pitch the next intervention as a workshop - can I suggest hybrid last week of June. I am flexible at the minute - I would suggest inviting two or three co-op development people to attend (we will pay a fee from the network budget already agreed) with them agreeing to read your paper in advance, attend and listen to the presentation and offer feedback and guidance.
Sound good? Maybe 6pm on the 25th or 26th?
I won't be able to own the organising, but if we settle the date - I will reach out to two or three individuals that I think would add value to attend, and make the connection with the event organisers. I am happy to facilitate the conversation on the day, if that helps.
cc. @denmanrooke
Greta Spitczok von Brisinski Tue 10 Jun 2025 12:18PM
No worries at all!
That would be great, thank you! I've checked with the team and both the 25th or 26th at 6pm would work for us, so if the co-op development people who would be attending this have a preference on the date, we are happy to adjust and book the room for whichever date suits better.
Sam Toland Wed 11 Jun 2025 5:25PM
@hummingbirdgreta
I’ve send a few intro emails, I’ve texted someone I know that would be a good addition, and I’ve posted on a UK co-op development practitioner forum to bring an outside perspective.
@isabel127 would you have any new contacts for the social enterprise space that might join this event to give feedback and advice on the funding for social enterprise side of things?
Greta Spitczok von Brisinski Thu 12 Jun 2025 9:38AM
Thanks a bunch for getting us in touch, we'll give them a bit of time to get back to us with a preference on the date and will let you know once that's confirmed!
Sam Toland Fri 13 Jun 2025 2:20PM
@hummingbirdgreta
We have received one interest from email, and one from my text - and waiting to hear back on the others. So maybe link in on Monday.
Greta Spitczok von Brisinski Fri 13 Jun 2025 5:41PM
Sounds good, I'm running Tiziana's proposed availabilities by Greg & Eli, happy to wait for input of other attending parties and see where we are at Monday!
Greta Spitczok von Brisinski Thu 19 Jun 2025 11:20AM
Given that things have moved a bit slower than we originally thought, we're considering moving the seminar back into the first or third week of July (unfortunately Greg is unavailable the second week). We hope this will give everyone more time to review our business plan and maybe get a third person to attend. If that works for you too Sam, then I'll ask Tiziana and Dave about their availability for that time period!
Sam Toland Fri 20 Jun 2025 2:15PM
@hummingbirdgreta I have sent an email to the three development practitioners you've asked. You can share the related link with all your members.
https://www.when2meet.com/?31052895-DJQry
@denmanrooke and others, if you wish to join, you can complete as well.
I would suggest reviewing on Monday, and setting a date as peoples' availability will fill up quick.
Have a good weekend.
cc. @isabel127
Denman Rooke · Mon 19 May 2025 3:58PM
That sounds and looks great. I wouldn't be experienced enough myself to advise yet. But I imagine some of the more experienced folks here would be willing?
I'd likely be inclined to pop along to a meeting in FSU to learn from the experience myself. And especially how as a fellow FSU member within Game Workers Unite Ireland, how I could use the same learnings to games.