Grow Your Co-op Members’ Business
Leni San Roque, Chief Executive of the Association of Asian Confederation of Credit Unions (ACCU) tells participants at the recent Co-op Leaders’ Congress in Iloilo City how and why co-ops should upgrade and make an impact in the communities, in the nation, and even globally.
Grow Your Co-op Members’ Business
Leni San Roque, Chief Executive of the Association of Asian Confederation of Credit Unions (ACCU) tells participants at the recent Co-op Leaders’ Congress in Iloilo City how and why co-ops should upgrade and make an impact in the communities, in the nation, and even globally.
In the last two days, all we have heard was how technology can improve the business of cooperatives. I believe that is a good thing.
But let me quote ACCU Founding President, Andrew So, about keeping our feet on the ground. He said: “No matter how advanced technologies are, leading us is still cooperation, trust, integrity, kindness and love, and not the cold technology and data. Our movement should have a process of constant innovative review of the status quo, a process of creativity where new technologies, new products and new processes are pioneered and brought to the market to serve mankind.”
He added: “It is crucial that we translate the credit union ideologies, spirit, values and principles into operational practice.”
If cooperatives do this, co-ops will be part of the achievement of the United Nations’ 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). If we are only doing our part and translating the Principles into our operations, co-ops can really contribute to the achievement of the SDGs.
We talked about integration in the past. The federation structure of an integrated system that we are advocating has several departments with specific tasks: Finance & Administration, and Human Resource (mostly internal), and Lending Supervision of member Co-ops, Marketing & Communications, Technology Sharing Services, and Supervision & Stabilization Fund (mostly external).
But there must be added to the Integrated Network model another Group with a specific function: Business Development Services.
Co-ops must help their members become entrepreneurs.
It would be more systematic if our co-op federations access and offer all training programs for entrepreneurs. ACCU has developed a structure in place to include a Business Development Center and clearly indicate what federations will do to help members to engage in sustainable businesses and enterprises. ACCU has also come up with a structure that will identify the roles of the co-ops on the B2B business services. Earlier we were talking about BDC, but we changed it to BDC Services because most of our leaders are thinking of only opening up a store. It is more than that. It is about providing members consulting services to our individual members so they will be able to get training and understand business, they will be able to upgrade their products and services, so that we can sell that online and reach a wide market. After all, when our members prosper, so will the co-op.
We cannot do that now. Why? Because our members’ products and services are not marketable. At least not yet. Maybe for the local markets, yes we can. But for the international markets and the big leagues, not yet. Please erase the thinking that co-op products are only for the local market. Upgrade it. That is the only way for our members to go.
That is why the co-op federation, through the Business Development Services arm, will help entrepreneurs start, grow, and sustain their small businesses through professional, confidential advising, as well as classes and workshops.
This is clearly the missing link in the cooperatives today. We lend money and that’s it. Our borrowers are not trained in entrepreneurship, and some are not even trained in financial literacy!
At this point, cooperatives have no data on its impact of improving lives of people. But we will move forward. We have already trained future trainers from all over Asia. ACCU will institutionalize BDS by selecting pilot co-ops that will assist select entrepreneurs and showcase success cases.
Recently, ACCU launched the GWLN Sister Societies in Asia, which aims to “Connect, Inspire, and Empower” members. The Network is a great motivator for women to take the lead. There are more than 900 members of Sister Societies in Indonesia, Nepal, Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.
Leni San Roque joined the ACCU in February 1995 as Manager for Member Services. She has extensively worked in developing programs in response to the challenges of credit unions in Asia. The 21 Credit Union Business Solutions are some of the achievements of ACCU wherein Leni has dedicated much of her time.