In this blog we are going to discuss the following;

• Roles within the cooperative: Distribution of work, schedules, etc.
• How to distribute profits and expenses?
• Inventory and equipment
• Marketing
• Financial Resources: Medical Insurance, Scholarships, Liability Insurance
• Geography: Territorial coverage

After several days of training with the worker-owners on the basics and how to make decisions, the day came when Bianca Vasquez met with them. Bianca has the experience of knowing how to explain the financial side, marketing, and health insurance, and liability. She has been since the beginning of Dulce Hogar DC.

Bianca explained to them that the financial part is divided into different categories, for example;

• Taxes or other paperwork that requires payment. A certain amount will be saved from their percentage for their taxes and other expenses. But if at the end of the year they have more money saved than they have to pay, it will be returned to them.
• Liability insurance is highly important to have since they will be a cleaning cooperative. If in a given case something is bankrupt or damaged on the property that is being cleaned, the liability insurance will cover it.
• Cleaning equipment and materials, another part of the percentage that they will leave from their payment will be saved to cover these expenses. They are also planning to have their own shirts with the Dulce Hogar VA logo.
• The payment to themselves is divided equally well depending on how much they work. From your payment, they will decide how much percentage to save for other expenses.

Bianca also mentioned to them about grants and loans which they could apply as a cooperative. Applications for some grants are already being filled to see if we can raise a little money before they start working. She also mentioned "Seed Commons" to them.

• Seed Commons is a national network of non-extractive loan funds with local roots that puts the power of big finance under community control. By receiving guidance from the grassroots and sharing capital and resources to support local cooperative enterprises, we are building the infrastructure necessary for a truly just, democratic and sustainable new economy.

Finally, Bianca explained to them about the mileage or the geography where they will go to do the work. The owners have to have a certain mileage and put it in their operating agreement since they will only work in Virginia and cannot go out of state. The worker-owners have not discussed that with the attorneys but they are already making a decision, right now they have in their list the following counties Arlington County, Falls Church, Alexandria, and Fairfax. This is what they have decided at the moment but they may still have other counties to add.

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