It supports keeping some crafts alive, even though they are no longer produced in large quantities. We still have clients who are interested in American-made crafts and will pay a little extra to get them. But Sawyer finds member relations in her cooperative a real challenge. So we are developing a new one-day orientation program that would involve the whole staff in acquainting new members with our operation and personnel. We may even bring in an outside speaker at times.
Communications are essential to link management and the members in the cooperative.
Sometimes we may get a more honest response when members can express their opinions anonymously in a questionnaire. So we try to focus on problems in advance. Often the best way to get people's reaction is to ask them impromptu questions over the phone. One of the new wrinkles is to develop craft guilds within the cooperative for people working on the same craft item. They will discuss particular techniques in making the individual craft, purchase supplies together, and even go to marketing shows.