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Although my own particular focus has increasingly been on retail innovation over many years while focusing on the third or social sector exclusively, both the formal and informal, as led by cooperatives, social enterprises and self-help or volunteer groups - I have in particular been focusing on what is possible through development of such Community Co-op branded retail outlets in and for that Third Sector.
While we can learn from how the private sector brands have so successfully built their brands and their business over generations, this Internet era with its e-commerce and other potential has opened up many other ways too for Producers and Community Brands although I believe it actually calls for a new organisational model, a low cost virtual e-business model and which is what we propose to do through VoxLABS™ at VoxWorld©.Coop™. This particular route embraces the notion of both producer Independence and of the Fair Trade principles, but wrapped around the idea of creation of culture-driven Community Brands within a local Co-operative structure to stand behind that production, and which is itself integrated into a Retail Co-op shops-in-shops* network.
Let me then say that essentially Linkedin Group ("The E-Communities.Coop") will go through seven Phases, or Order of Events, during implementation:
1. Community Stories - that which makes each producer coop community unique.
2. Community Brand Catalogue Listing - the products and any services associated.
3. Community Cooperative Chapters - independent retail co-op formation for community brands at State, Country, Regional or World levels (each with their story too)
4. Culture Shop-in-Shops and Showcases - Retail Outlets promoting community co-op brands
5. Fair Trade approved - standard required for stand alone organisations joining, when operating outside of a producer coop structure
6. Community Brand & Outlets Services Providers - the authorised licensed service providers
7. Specialist Consultants Teams - the authorised licensed service providers
....where a Global Online Community can be an Area or County, a State, a Country, a Region or a World brand - the latter being such as Artisans World or any other Lifeworkers eg. Nurses, Teachers, Artists, etc.
*Shop-in-Shops: "The "shop-in-shop" retail concept is where a brand owner or retailer takes space in another retailer's store and fits it out to provide selling space dedicated to that secondary company's products. A lot of brands/retailers have monobrand stores which are totally dedicated to their ranges e.g. adidas, Hugo Boss, UGG or Levi's; often they have "shop-in-shop" programs where they occupy a set amount of space in other multiple outlets, in addition to their monobrand stores. One example of the mix of retail space is Umbro, with nearly 2,000 outlets but 80% are "shop-in-shop" outlets and the balance stand-alone monobrand stores. There are benefits to both retailers e.g. shared costs, shared marketing and demand-generation, and speed to market. The concept is as old as the farmers' market!" (Answers)
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VoxWorld.Coop has today started a new and exciting Initiative during this, the United Nations' sponsored 2012 International Year of Cooperatives http://www.2012.coop/, with the introduction of what is intended to be a virtual 'roundtable' forum as chaired by The E-Communities.Coop Group. Now open to members or intending members of all Third/ Social Sector Organisations (TSO) worldwide - as led by Cooperatives, Social Enterprise & Volunteer Groups - all are invited to join in this preliminery range of discussions with the end goal of becoming initially Champions and Co-founders of their own local Chapter of the International Community Co-operative Organisation (ICCO) to be established during 2012.
For all Co-op Organisations that are existing holders of a .Coop TLD domain, your membership of the E-Communities.Co-op Group have been pre-approved at, and further details can be found for all other Third/ Social Sector Orgs, Linkedin Groups - "The E-Communities.Coop" Group.
Accordingly, we would be pleased if you would join us to contribute in making our conversation the best one possible; at a place where everyone has a voice and an opportunity, and where together we can share common cause and beliefs as we co-share in a collaborative Vision for our respective Communities.
Our first Question there is: Do you share in this Vision for Your Organisation, Your Village, Your Community.? We look forward to you joining us.
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Be TeleWise with TeleWork in a combined TeleCentre & Co-op World
Act today to create your own TeleWork, when your local Community Co-op joins with your local Village TeleCentre on VoxWorld.Coop's custom USB memory cards and sticks and together "Cooperative Enterprises Build A Better World" during this United Nation's sponsored "International Year of Cooperatives 2012", in their partnership with ICA.Coop and its one billion Co-op members.
Richard O'Farrell
email: labs@voxworld.coop
(to comment here click on 'comments' below)
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Our first online Poll commenced online today on www.voxworld.coop. It will close in 21 days, on 5th October 2012, when results will be published here. We would be delighted if you could vote there, or give us your views by clicking the 'comment' box below:
Question:
What is the best way for you to create your own online Global Community?
ANSWERS:
- Promote Culture Tourism at Home
- Develop Community Branded Culture Showcase
- Open Roots / Homecoming Shops in reachout to our Global Diaspora
- Engage our Local Community in Diaspora Gatherings
- Open Village Hubs as Meeting Points for our Local Community
- Create Community Cooperative website for online trading
- Try something else
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Your Community CO-OP CAT Co-Promotions on USB throughout UN's International Year of Cooperatives 2012:
The United Nations' sponsored International Year of Cooperatives 2012 is underway with their two Partners - ICA.Coop, the International Cooperative Alliance apex organisation; and WOCCU.Coop, the Credit Unions apex organisation.
VoxWorld.Coop was approved in December 2011 for use of their Official IYC 2012 Logo by the United Nations. We have commenced our own Programme this January on four levels (see below and fuller details at 'E-CO.Coop Custom Catalogue' in nav bar) - though VoxWorld.Coop Co-Promotions for Excluded Communities (Social, Economic, Financial & Digital), featuring VoxWorld.Coop's Custom USB Flash Drives, with VoxLabs's Custom Point of Sale Concepts and with VoxLabs' Consumer Concepts in Social Wallet's USB & Vouchercards:
- Co-Promotions now available for <Your Community> Brand and Content @ VoxWorld.Coop throughout the United Nation sponsored International Year of Cooperatives 2012, for distribution Direct through authorised VoxWorld.Coop Outlets ('Omega Points'). This is a Gallery of some of the available Co-Promotional brands that support socially, economically, financially and digitally Excluded Communities.
- <Your Community> Brand and Content can now be distributed worldwide for presentation on the VoxWorld.Coop's co-branded Custom USB Flash Drives, the leading universal consumer interface with access to the vast new Internet of Things marketplace, and available today Direct from authorised VoxWorld.Coop Providers. This is a Gallery of some of the available Designs as customisable for <Your CAT>, together with Colour spectrum and Size options to 32 GB.
- In addition, <Your Community> Brand and Content can now also be distributed worldwide using unique VoxLabs' Custom Point of Sale Concepts, featuring USA Patent D.412800, as designed by VoxLabs and exclusively available through authorised VoxWorld.Coop Providers for Point of Sale distribution under VoxFranchise supply chain management @ authorised VoxWorld.Coop Community Outlets worldwide. This is a Gallery of our some earlier Designs, and customisable for <Your CAT>.
- In another option, <Your Community> Brand and Content can be also distributed worldwide using unique VoxLabs Consumer Concepts, featuring the VoxWorld.Coop co-branded Custom USB 'Culture Tourism' Wallets concept, with co-branded customisable USB Memory Cards, Plastic Culture Cards, and Voucher package deals - again exclusively available through authorised VoxWorld.Coop Providers for Point of Sale distribution under VoxFranchise supply chain management @ authorised VoxWorld.Coop Community Outlets worldwide. This is a Gallery of our some earlier Designs, and customisable for <Your CAT>.
I invite you to show <Your Community> interest in creating such a Catalogue and through clicking through on the 'comments' bar below,
Richard O'Farrell
Founder, Innovator & Social Entrepreneur
VoxWorld.Coop
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| VoxWorld.Coop was this week approved for use of Official Logo for United Nations sponsored: "International Year of Cooperatives 2012" with their Partners, International Cooperative Alliance and WOCCU Credit Unions. VoxWorld.Coop will be delighted to make its contribution in promoting their exciting goals from January 3rd, 2012.
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GLOBAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP WEEK, November 14-20, 2011 Starts Today in Villages of Ireland, 1000 D.I.Y.!
Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) starts to-day in the Villages of Ireland, as well as around the world, and your Village can be an exciting part of it. Start to-day with VoxWorld.Coop Brand to create your first E-Job or E-Trader. GEW can provide supporting materials, ask VoxWorld.Coop info@voxworld.coop.
There are over 1,000 Villages in Ireland, and together they can create a 1,000 E-Jobs or E-Traders over the next week or even month, Season or Year. A Job with ongoing income is very valuable we know, and it is only a start. One E-Trader can create one or indeed many E-Job(s). It's up to each Village as to what they want to or can achieve, what each Village has to offer, what your Village Diaspora wants, perhaps waht your County or Region holds out for others. Nearly one third of E-Jobs in Europe are only advertised in Online, because they require E-Skills - and those with them are assumed to be already online. Are you part of that yet? Every European is going Digital over the years ahead, every Country and Continent are heading the same way. See for yourself at Digital Agenda Europe - earlier in these Blog pages, now Going Local in Ireland since October 2011.
Now ideally every Village in Ireland should actually run their own Hub or Community Centre. All it needs is Broadband and a few computers or iPads, in a place where people can meet and learn together. And there is plenty of Property about for sure. Of course you may need a local Sponsor, or perhaps there may be a local TeleCentre already open. If not why not open one.? Or maybe a Local Hotel will step in and provide all you need to get started in a Business Centre. They stand to gain from future local business spending, incoming Diapsora and culture tourism, even Trade Exhibitions or Culture Showcase sales ongoing.
Hold Digital Literacy pr advanced ICT Courses by day, or night, at weekends - or all of the above, as demand dictates. It will pay dividends every day of the week in communications, extra income, perhaps an E-Job or even an E-Trader business. That will create a Job for an ICT Tutor too. None available, Tutor Courses and Train the Trainer Courses are all available. Now go on and learn more E-Skills, access ever more opportunities. Or you can learn at home, online - helped by a familiy member perhaps, or a local. Its for all ages, for the unemployed, people on low incomes currently or those less well educated until now. It only takes a week or two to make a real difference in your life.
Then hold an Event, maybe get your local GAA or other Stars of stadium, screen or stage to assist in raising your profile. You can even distribute your Digital Literacy self-learn Courses on low cost, high quality USB Flash Drives from VoxWorld.Coop, to learn on computer at home - where they can contribute to your local Digital Hub creation fund. Now with Digital Capability, you can promote your Village for its Culture Tourism, with Hospitality services to your Diaspora. Or join together as one County, and collectively promote your County Brand, with your own emblem, your Team identity, or even your County Shirt and anthem. Link to your Diaspora through your Migrants in USA, Australia, Canada, Europe or UK. Identify a Hub or Centre for future activities. D.I.Y. The opportunities are indeed endless, once you Start.
Richard O'Farrell
Social Innovator & Socila Entrepreneur
Founder VoxWorld.Coop & EriuVox.
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Village Hub Startups: An E-Job in Every Village 1,000, D.I.Y!
VoxWorld.Coop uniquely is a Social Brand created for adoption by Communities in their Villages for Trade rather than Aid promotion. The Social Brand is dedicated to representation of Excluded Communities worldwide - whether through economic, financial, social or digital inclusion. It is currently supporting the Digital Agenda Europe's campaign as a multi-stakeholder in SchoolNet's "Digital Literacy & e-Inclusion" project which started Going Local across all 27 EU countries from October 2011.
This month VoxWorld.Coop's focus for Global Entrepreneur Week in on Ireland with Village Hub Startups, called AlphaPoints. AlphaPoints are all about opening access through Local E-Community Centres in the Irish Villages both with and through the c.70 million Irish Diaspora worldwide for Culture Tourism and other traded-services. The immediate aim, during 14th-20th November 2011 Week, is to highlight these opportunities for starting - promoting the creation of just One E-Job (or E-Traded-service) in Every Village in Ireland over the following month or even a year - thats a total of 1,000 E-Jobs & E-Trades target in the first year. Every Village 1,000 E-Jobs, DIY!. No Village knows until they try just what is possible. Those E-Jobs and E-Trades will then go on help generate perhaps another Local E-Job or E-Trade in following few months or even a year. And collectively these will then contribute to solving the serious Jobs Shortage in Ireland, and also perhaps tap into the huge Global Shortage for E-Skilled workers worldwide.
VoxWorld.Coop believes that Education is the Greatest Gift of all...and it is a gift that we can Give to Ourselves....or to our Family, our Relatives, our Village, our Community, our Culture, our Country. Now with E-Education, Digital Literacy or Capability, we can Give that Gift to EXCLUDED Communities of the World too, while simultaneously creating E-Jobs at Home. Its takes so little to do so much, everyone wins. And Every Village 1000 can start today, DIY.
It need only take just A Week or Two to Self-Learn some E-Skills and get started (or typically three months when on a once-a-week nightly Courses; when with a Village Tutor, D.I.Y!....yes, and that's another E-Job created locally) with a Digital Literacy programme. And you can even get your Village up onto the Internet in a week or two as well, even with a trading Website...where from Ireland of 1,000 Villages you can reach that vast audience of c.70 million Irish Diaspora worldwide. A New World awaits...when open access from your Village Hub Startups, with a WORLD SHOP at VoxWorld.Coop Outlets: An E-Job in Every Village 1,000, D.I.Y.!
Richard O'Farrell
Founder, Social Innovator & Social Entrepreneur
VoxWorld.Coop (Social Brand), VoxFranchise (E-Franchise) & VoxLabs (E-Model)
Web Portal: www.voxworld.coop
Community Social Marketplace: www.voxworld-coop.ning.com
Custom USB Range: www.facebook.com/VoxLabs
Enquiries: labs@voxworld.coop
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CROSSING THE THRESHOLD: Has <YOUR> Village Got Started Yet?
Does <YOUR> Village have an E-Community Hub or TeleCentre yet - where the unemployed, low income earners, less well educated and ageing populations ('golden oldies') can Get Started on road to a new life, through Digital Literacy?
Every Village needs a HUB, to make real and rapid progress towards the Jobs, Trades and Services required tomorrow. In itself, it will fuel a Community effort, generate a vibrant and collective Community spirit. And we all live in a Village somewhere - whether living in Town or Townsland, Urban or Rural, City or Country-side. So just as every Nation is essentially One Nation of Communities, likewise every Community is One Community of Villages. Getting Started is half the journey - whether that is crossing-the-threshold, as aided by Digital Literacy; or as your own Digital Start-up; or just Starting-out on a Digitally-driven Career. One way or another we all WANT to become part of the Knowledge Economy, where and when great things start to happen for us - but first of all we all NEED Digital Literacy.
We no longer need to wait on Governments to guide us, or Corporations to lead us - we can lead ourselves as a Community, and the rest will surely follow where we go. When we cross that Digital Divide, we find that our future firmly rests in our own hands. All we need now is the Motivation to start. Now thats not easy of course, crossing that threshold - many approach it with (an unnecessary,but nonetheless apparently real) fear and trepidation, born of perhaps the lack of basic keyboard or general computer skills and indeed other reasons. But the INCENTIVES to overcome those barriers are as clear as they are compelling - Jobs, Extra Income, New Skills or Traded-Services at Home is the result we can expect to achieve.
- Do you know that 30% of all Jobs are only advertised Online - because those Employers only want to attract people who already have Digital Skills?. So IF you have not already got online, you're not in the game.
- Do you know the Top 50 Career Jobs 2011 according to Yahoo Finance at http://finance.yahoo.com/news/The-50-Best-Careers-of-usnews-2389565045.html?x=0 - vitually all of these require ICT Skills, and many go unfilled for long periods due to delays in finding people with the required Skills set, stretching across the diverse fields of:
- Business Jobs
- Creative & Service Jobs
- HeathCare Jobs
- Social Service Jobs
- Technology Jobs
- These ICT-driven Jobs no longer find you, you need to find them first. You can find some of these through Adverts or local Jobs Centre in part, but countless others can best be found best, found first,oer perhaps found at all....Online only. Again, IF you are not yet Online, you are not yet in the game! How do you find them Online - in various and very different ways to Offline; being as a contributor to ONLINE social network 'conversations', through making new connections or 'listening'to their word of mouth communications; uploading your CV or Resume to let people know you are out there with the skills they may need; or following the postings from Companies that interest you, seeing what their needs are and meeting them; or maybe joining databases with Jobs News alerts on your mobile.
Here's the glitz- for tens and hundreds of millions of people worldwide however, they do not have ACCESS. And they can only do this IF they have that Access plus the Capability (Digital Literacy) right there in their own Village. So does <YOUR>Village have such a Hub yet?. IF not, there is always someone who can provide such a Hub - with the computers, laptops or iPads...in form of a TELECENTRE....at perhaps a local Community College, or a Library, or Co-operative, or Internet Cafe, even a Hotel small business centre.
And that Hub will create at least one Job for someone, that is one Job in every Village in every Community, in every Country. Thats a START, and a lot of Jobs, which in turn will create many more Jobs & Services. Quite an Incentive......to Get Started now, and be ahead of the posse.
Richard O'Farrell
Founder, Social Innovator & Social Entrepreneur
VoxWorld.Coop (Social Brand), VoxLabs (Virtual E-Model) & VoxLabs (E-Franchise)
Web Portal: www.voxworld.coop
Visit Community Social Marketplace: www.voxworld-coop.ning.com
See the USB Range on Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/VoxLabs
Enquiries: labs@voxworld.coop
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VoxWorld.Coop has introduced its innovative contribution to Digital Agenda Europe and Big Idea Community: "Digital Literacy & e-Inclusion", as and from 3rd October 2011 - preloaded, boxed, USB Flash Drives.in its patented Merchandiser.
Now in its Fourth Phase of addressing the Excluded in Society, this time being the "Digitally Excluded" - VoxWorld.Coop embraces the broader definition of Digital Literacy, as espoused in 2007 by Allan Martin and others with their term "Digital Literacies", to include:
Computer Literacy
Information Literacy
Communication Literacy
Technological Literacy
INTERNET LITERACY
Digital Media Literacy
Since 2001, VoxWorld.Coop first addressed the Economically Excluded (with the Diaspora, Aztec & Pinoy), then the Socially Excluded (with dotCoop/ .Coop, WW) and finally the Financially Excluded (with FDIC Money Smart, USA). Now today we start to address the Digitally Excluded (with Digital Agenda Europe & its Big Ideas Communities).
VoxWorld.Coop is fundamentally setting out to address the Digitally Excluded across all 27 x European countries through a Local Community-led Initiative, where it focuses in on the Village unit and seeks to enable the creation and development of a local E-Community Hub, across both Rural and Urban populations; where it sees each nation in Europe (as elsewhere) as being 'one Nation of Communities'. It recognises the over-riding fact that all Communities are unique in their Culture and in their Language that preserves it - as handed down through the generations. It seeks to achieve its Goals, as always, through enablement of those Communities alone.
So VoxWorld.Coop starts this month, as and from 3rd October 2011, by introducing a completely comprehensive range of exciting and leading quality Range of USB Flash Drives, available in its VoxLabs patented Merchandiser, together with individual, branded accessories/ storage boxes. Both USBs & Merchandiser are fully customisable to meet each Community's requirements - at a national, regional or local level; as well as at Retail, Brand Provider or Organisational level. They also can supply branded Lanyards for Digital Literacy/ national operator promotion etc; and can also supply Leather wallets with up to 16 GB memory cards or integrated USB's on key chain; USB Pens, wristbands, neckbands, tie pins etc - all with memory sticks
The Uses and Applications of the pre-loaded USB's in INTERNET LITERACY (Knowledge & Skills combined) is where VoxWorld.Coop however sees the biggest opportunity for substantial advances - ranging from preloaded Digital Literacy Courseware, to interactive Jobs Skills Portal & Startup Programmes. Rapid USB Delivery in small or large quantities is assured, ready and available direct from their authorised Provider and right across Europe simultaneously; it just takes a week, without Merchandiser, and that is complete with branding and pre-loading services. After purchase, the Users may then continue to download, top-up Education modules, add their weekly study/ tutor notes, keep their Business records; follow online links or Videos; or just add music, audio or e-books, or any other culture or data products for Entertainment.
For fuller details, just ask for a Flysheet or a Quote at: labs@voxworld.coop. Custom USB Flash Drives with pre-loaded Content, Sponsors or even Narrowcasting are ready to ship European-wide today, and with many ongoing new ideas and new way to follow. So that's just the beginning.
Richard O'Farrell
Founder, Social Innovator & Social Entrepreneur
VoxWorld.Coop (Social Brand), VoxLabs (E-Model) & VoxLabs (E-Franchise)
Web Portal: www.voxworld.coop
Community Social Marketplace: www.voxworld-coop.ning.com
See the USB Range on Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/VoxLabs
Enquiries: labs@voxworld.coop
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