Andelsmobil, a Danish internet telecommunication company, allows its members to make management decisions and pays its consumers a surplus from company profits once a year. It costs about $70 in U.S. funds to become a part of the phone company.
This is consumers taking back power -- and money.
According to an Andelsmobil press release, the company offers members a “100 percent fair and transparent business.†Not bad in a time of financial crisis.
Implications - Cooperative companies found a foothold during the recession after investors' stock exchange portfolios took heavy hits. These profit-sharing cooperatives give small-time investors a chance to take part in business without the volatility and unpredictability of the stock market.
What's Driving This Trend
- Cooperative Companies
- Cooperative companies allow small-time investors to take part in business without the volatility of the stock market.
- User-ownership
- User-owned internet companies enable consumers to make management decisions and share in the company's profits.
- Profit-sharing
- Profit-sharing models offer transparent and fair business opportunities for consumers during times of financial crisis.
Who This Affects Most
- Telecommunications
- The telecommunications industry can explore user-owned models and profit-sharing strategies to engage consumers and increase transparency.
- Financial Services
- Financial services providers can adopt cooperative company structures to offer small investors a stable alternative to the stock market.
- Technology
- The technology industry can develop user-owned internet platforms that allow consumers to actively participate in decision-making and share in the profits.
