The Impact of a Handmade Artisans Cooperative

In this post, we’ll outline what a Cooperative is, the differences between Artisans Cooperative and other marketplaces, and our social impact on communities.

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Corporation or Cooperative?

The cooperative business structure is, in reality, a type of corporation. What sets a cooperative apart from other types of corporations is who the owners of the company are. While other types of corporations are owned by shareholders or stockholders, co-ops are owned by its members or the people who use the services of the cooperative.

Cooperatives are different from traditional businesses. They operate their business by a set of universal principles that put people and communities over profits. They are self-reliant, self-determining and self-help organizations that make business owner ship accessible to all. Most importantly, cooperative members own the business and control it democratically (not Wall Street investors or hedge funds). And cooperative members are the ones who financially benefit from its success.

The best fit for your handmade business

When looking for an online platform to sell your handmade goods, you’ll want to ask all the right questions. Is there enough of a customer base? Is their selling niche a really, really good match for your products? Do you trust the management to do a good job with marketing? What is special or different that is compelling to you as an artisan, but also as a shopper? 

Private- and investor-owned marketplaces are operated purely for owner profits. But a cooperative business is owned and managed by the people who love the service, not just the profits it brings. As a democratically-owned business, a cooperative also has the right to make decisions that put people and planet over profits.

The people who use it will design it to meet their needs: reliability, sustainability, longevity, fair fees, and more. By building the marketplace cooperatively, artisans and customers together can create the marketplace they both want: filled with unique, creative, and authentically-handmade goods. Imagine a more trustworthy marketplace of authentically handmade goods, simple, transparent fees, and better support for artisans.

To determine exactly how to better support artisans and please customers, we conducted a Marketplace Priorities Poll in 2022. The poll results, policies and plans we’ve written since then describe the detailed priorities of our community.

The main complaints that made Artisans and Supporters turn towards our Artisans Co-op:

• Crazy high fees/Robot customer service >>> Learn how we operate financially.  
• Lack of quality handmade products >>> Read our Handmade Policy.
• Lack of protections against fraud >>> Our Refund Policy is determined by individual shops.
• Billionaire corporate greed/Mass production >>> Read our “Bill of Rights” for Platform Co-ops.
• Saturation of identical products >>> Learn how to make our Marketing Plan work for you.
• High overhead needed to start up >>> Learn about our Membership Buy-In Options.
• Lack of community values >>> Get involved with Member Activities. 
• Out of touch billionaires >>> Learn why Membership Matters.
• Buried in the search algorithm >>> Search with filters to shop by important features.

The Social and Economic Impact of Cooperatives

“Social value” covers a wide range of benefits that improve community wellbeing, strengthen social bonds, promote fairness, and support environmental sustainability. While corporate platforms might occasionally engage in socially responsible activities to boost their image or meet corporate social responsibility targets, platform cooperatives make social value central to their mission and daily operations.

• Strengthening Community Capacities – One of the biggest advantages of platform cooperatives is how they help build up local communities. Platform cooperatives will frequently run skill-shares or workshops where members can learn important skills relating to their type of platform. By providing people with the skills and knowledge to take part fully in the digital economy, platform cooperatives build long-term resilience and self-sufficiency.
  
  A key mechanism in achieving the greatest impact is the development of a strong collective identity and shared values among the members of the cooperative. This sense of belonging goes beyond simple involvement; when members feel empowered, they’re more likely to take initiative, innovate, and work together to solve problems. This not only strengthens the cooperative’s ability to deliver social value but also creates a positive cycle where empowered members drive further innovation and improvement.
  
• Federating Cooperative Ventures – When different platform cooperatives join forces through alliances and networks, a process known as federation, they can grow together and achieve a bigger impact than they could on their own. These federations often cross regional and national borders, creating global networks that expand the reach of the cooperative movement. By working together, cooperatives are better positioned to advocate for policies and regulations that support their work and therefore build a more resilient cooperative ecosystem, one that’s better equipped to handle economic challenges and market pressures.
  
• Fostering a Narrative of Co-creation – Unlike corporate platforms, where decisions are often made in a top-down and opaque manner, platform cooperatives focus on transparency, inclusivity, and giving members a voice in shaping the platform’s direction. By involving members in decision-making, platform cooperatives ensure their actions stay aligned with their social mission and remain accountable to the communities they serve, building a culture of trust and mutual respect within the cooperative. This process strengthens internal unity and makes it easier for the cooperative to attract new members who share its values and vision.
  
  Platform cooperatives also often thrive thanks to supportive policies and institutional frameworks that recognize their potential to tackle important social challenges and drive innovation. This partnership with government offers platform cooperatives a number of advantages. It helps them navigate regulatory issues, secure funding and resources, and build credibility. In return, platform cooperatives contribute to the public good by promoting economic inclusion, social equity, and environmental sustainability. This relationship enhances the overall impact of platform cooperatives and creates a more favorable environment for their growth.

• Join now! Membership info and application
• Help spread the word about the 2024 Membership Drive
• The value of membership

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About Artisans Cooperative

We are growing an online handmade marketplace for an inclusive network of creatives: a co-op alternative to Etsy.
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