Get Your ING-On In Alberta!
Travel & Heritage App - Sheila's Shenanigans
Introducing the Travel-ING ON Tourism Cooperative
In May 2024 the decision was made to move the History Check mobile app into a cooperative business structure. In July 2024 the Travel-ING ON Tourism Cooperative was federally incorported.
In a co-op its members are its owners. This aligns with original goals and intent of Sheila Willis, the designer of the History Check mobile app. She created the platform as a place where the heritage & tourism sectors could market collaboratively and benefit from it.
As a member you will have a voice in future app development, other marketing tactics and financial decisions that affect not only the budgetary requirements but the distribution of annual dividends to members.
You may be familiar with retail cooperatives. UFA and Federated Co-op are two examples; members purchase a lifetime membership and, dependent on the amount they purchase from the co-op, and its success, recieve an annual patronage dividend.
The Travel-ING ON Tourism Co-op follows a similar structure. It is a marketing co-op where members share a common goal; to provide travel information to guests and explorers while engaging them in the community they are visiting through stories and historical information.
The initial marketing tool will be the searchable, map-based History Check app which will updated and reloaded on the App Store and Google Play in the cooperative's name. As advertising members list their locations on the app, and promote it, the ability to reach the target audience is amplified, app usage grows and all members benefit.
Membership is open to any individual, business or other entity that has an interst in, or is a stakeholder in the heritage and tourism industries. The Lifetime Membership fee is $25 and allows members to participate in the democratic process.
Patronage dividends, depending on the annual success of the co-op, will be available to members that use the services of the co-op, or advertise through it. Our marketing services begin with affordable advertising on the mobile app. For $250 annually members can add one location with images, information, logos, links, and up to 7 searchable keywords. Additional locations can be added for $50 a year, and additional keywords for $25.
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While this base fee of $250 annually is affordable for most, there will be non-profits or small businesses with limited budgets that find it out of their reach. In keeping with our committment to support each other, $15 from each $250 advertising fee will be placed into a 'Member's Assistance Fund'. Members with limited resources may apply for up to $200 assistance for their annual advertising fee, and any assistance given does not detract from their patronage dividend. This allows members to support each other, simply by advertising through the cooperative. We will also accept donations into this fund.
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The co-op has a goal of 3,000 advertising members in the first year. Based on this goal, our first year preliminary budget allows us to assist 225 members and pay a patronage dividend of about $35.
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Another fund, will be set up for future project development of members. While still under discussion, a minimum of $5 from each $250 advertising fee will go into this fund, with the intent to supply forgivable loans or grants to projecs by members that meet the overall goals of the cooperative.
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NOTE: Information and terminology may change as the founding members works through the business plan and bylaws and ensures compliance with Cooperative Acts. Information provided is to convey the goals and concepts of the cooperative during the start up phase.
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If you would like to learn more about cooperatives both of the following organizations have been helpful!