WHAT’S THE VALUE
OF BELONGING TO A COOPERATIVE?
Find Out What Collaborative Power and Strength Look Like in a Crisis
7 INITIATIVES FACILITATED BY THE RSA
First, the RSA Executive Office mobilized Member owners to define the industry business pulse, immediate areas of need and information required to guide their businesses during this unprecedented time.
Then the RSA organized weekly Owners Meetings where member owners openly discussed:
– Thorough assessments of business conditions based on geographic area responses to the crisis, and member size levels.
– How to classify their printing businesses as Essential Businesses to keep the doors open.
Next, the RSA members worked in solidarity helping each other review current Federal relief packages including:
– PPP applications, forgiveness criteria
– CARES Act
– SBA options
– State and local relief
– Unemployment programs
Together, the RSA Member companies worked on assessing staffing strategies: layoff vs. furlough vs. pay cuts in responding to the crisis early instead of waiting to see what happened.
The RSA management staff successfully sourced Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for Member company use.
– In the early weeks of the pandemic when PPE was scarce, The RSA staff sourced N95 and KN95 masks and hand sanitizer so Member companies could remain open safely and return to full staff levels faster and within CDC guidelines.
The RSA fostered a member program in conjunction with an advertising agency where a comprehensive COVID-19 signage program was developed including a catalog of templates for signage to sell into current member client companies. The program had built-in marketing resources and messaging that was completely financed by the RSA.
A wide range of vendor-sponsored webinars including Sales Skills and vendor education programs from Canon, Epson, HP, Heartland HR, Synnex and more.
– In fact, a member company sold 120 home office printers in 90 days using one of these vendor programs.
