Lesson number 4 - Communicate expectations, even bad expectations. We would have never have made it without the patience and understanding of the member, both consumers and staff. We strained their tolerance past the breaking point this last year, not once but repeatedly. Yet they stuck it out and the system they own is stronger operationally than ever. Communication was the key along with our cooperative structure along with the trust we had built up over the years.
Market share is bought one way or the other, through aggressive discounts or increase in services.
Normally when an organization of this size moves its operation, merges with another company or is forced to function in such a strained capacity situation or grows this fast, it loses money. Through a strange confluence of situations we experienced all of the above, two of which, the extreme growth compounding facility capacity issues, were not foreseen. We probably would have had a much less troublesome time with our planned initiatives if our major competitor had not stumbled so badly at such an inopportune time. Pause to extol the virtues of a small organization. Small organizations Do not get the oversight that a large organization gets regarding all sorts of compliance.