Co-op Coaching
Coaching for Co-ops
Get practical guidance to strengthen your co-op, build financial clarity, and prepare for your next step.
CFNE provides no-cost business support to co-ops in the northeast.
No matter your stage of growth, our Learning Team works with you to understand your goals, help you clarify your next steps, and identify options for additional support. Simply book the session and show up.
Topics We Coach On
Business Planning
- Business model development: facilitating group work sessions
- Business plan development: facilitation, assistance & review
- Marketing: brand strategy, marketing plan development, implementation coaching
- Wayfinding: exploratory conversations about planning for stabilization, growth, succession, and/or conversion with business owner or workers
Financial Management
- Basic financial statements: budgets, profit and loss, balance sheet, statement of cash flow
- Management reports: budget to actual, breakeven analysis, cash flow projections, reconciliations
- Key performance indicators: identifying metrics, measuring success
- Internal controls and risk management
Loan Readiness & Review
- Understanding various types of capital and impact of debt service
- Application assistance
Your Coaches
Karla Torres
Areas of expertise:
- Asesoría en español / Coaching in Spanish
- Emerging & start-up co-ops
- Financial projections
- Co-op member finances
- Trauma-informed coaching
Johan Matthews
Areas of expertise:
- Emerging & start-up co-ops
- Business models & customer discovery
- Marketing + Business development
- Org development + Decision-making models
- Community engagement + cooperative ecosystems
Carolyn Edsell-Vetter
Areas of expertise:
- Worker cooperative buyouts
- Growing & mature co-ops
- Financial analysis
- Open-book management
- Member engagement
- Leadership succession planning
CFNE’s Coaching Process
1. If this is your first time requesting coaching with us, submit an inquiry using this form. If we’ve done coaching before (or you’re a current CFNE borrower), reach out directly to your coach or your Loan Officer
2. We will follow-up with you to schedule an initial call
3. You and any other key co-op members attend the scheduled call to talk about your coaching needs
4. We enter into a Learning Agreement that describes what we’ll work on, for how long, and what success looks like
5. Repeat the process as necessary
Cancellation Policy
Please provide up to 24 hrs notice before cancelling. There is a one month waiting period for clients who do not show for coaching or do not provide 24 hours’ notice of cancellation