From the first day, the founders of KaleidoScoops ® supreme hand-dipped ice cream wanted to create a cohesive group of individuals that had the ability and desire to work together to better themselves and the other members of the co-op. The mission was simple:
"To provide our member store owners with a quality image, access to products, and a functional support system, at the most competitive price attainable that ensures final retail customers receive quality products and superior service for their patronage."
It was further understood that the co-op needed to be formed learning from the past and looking into the future. With this is mind numerous strategies and thoughts were put into the process of building and setting direction for further growth. The organization is built on years of experience and is managed by contemporaries.
Many franchise companies act as "linear" organizations, with a hierarchy that is both non-accessible and non-accountable. It was and is still the KaleidoScoops vision to not only be a "Non-linear" organization, but to further evolve into a "value-network" or more descriptively, a "web of partnerships" that brings KaleidoScoops members, suppliers, manufacturers, individual store owners (through committee participation), and other stake holders together for mutual evolution and increased productivity.
From early on to present day it is the desire that KaleidoScoops will:
- Form interdependent ties with all store owners
- Form solid integrated relationships with key suppliers and manufacturers
- Provide for quality marketing and advertising support
- Recommend set of reasonable consistent standards for stores utilizing the KaleidoScoops brand
- Provide a knowledge base accessible by all stake holders
A driving fundamental concept for KaleidoScoops is the direct involvement by individual storeowners in management by committee. Through committee involvement, individual storeowners will be involved in marketing, standard setting, operations, training, planning, and problem solving. This process will insure that KaleidoScoops mentality and abilities will not stagnate, but rather will grow and evolve with the needs and ideas of the individual store owner.
Any company that offers products and services on the scale that KaleidoScoops plans to, are typically franchised companies. KaleidoScoops has a substantial competitive advantage over these companies in that it is able to offer affiliation at a price that is negligible by comparison. Further, KaleidoScoops provides for the individual storeowner to be independent and participate in the development of ideas and marketing strategies.
The KaleidoScoops branded concept was not formed on a whim. There was substantial number of previous ice cream store operators involved in the development of the company. These individuals are conceptually and financially behind the KaleidoScoops concept. Many of the Officers, board members, committee members, etc. have all expended substantial personal funds to develop this cooperative. Each of those involved sees the opportunity to develop a brand and a methodology for operating that is fair to the individual store and provides for participation in a responsive "value network" rather than being a "subject" for a national firm with little or no concern for the individual builders of the brand.
KaleidoScoops will not be a distributor, but rather strives for the identification of quality products and facilitates the distribution of products and information for the efficient operation of individual stores. KaleidoScoops will provide services that are more economical or beneficial to be developed on a group or multi-party level. By encouraging all members to order from the same supplier, the members will receive the benefit of the purchasing power of big business. By keeping both the membership fee and any assessed fees marginal, the individual storeowner will have substantially more of their gross profit flowing to the bottom line.
KaleidoScoops intends to focus on its core competencies and outsource those areas that an outside specialist can better perform, such as marketing, advertising, and legal.
Products and services that KaleidoScoops will provide include:
- A professionally developed brand, logo, and image
- Access to branded quality ice cream
- Quality controlled ice cream with kosher certification
- Negotiated prices on a volume level
- Access to a broad and deep knowledge base
- Integrated relationships with suppliers and other store owners
- New product identification, testing, and implementation
- Professionally developed advertising and marketing
- Training
- Operational standards and optional evaluations by peers
- Opportunity for ownership
- A open line of communications to committees
- Creation of Marketing Co-Ops whenever possible
While the organization will provide guidance and suggestions to its members, it is ultimately the member’s responsibility to provide great guest service in a clean environment along with the use of a strong Local Store Marketing Plan.