As the chief financial officer at PAGE, I am focused on the numbers that add value to our 450 member publications and I want to shine a light on the sometimes overlooked numbers and benefits of the PAGE Cooperative.
Savings
The primary number we add is the savings we deliver to our members. We achieve these savings by negotiating the lowest prices from PAGE preferred partners and then encouraging the members to purchase these products through PAGE. These purchases positively impact additional numbers, including the end-of-year dividends and equity paid to our members.
End-of-year dividends
When writing down the benefits of working with the PAGE Cooperative, dividends are often unnoticed, but they shouldn’t be. Ordering regularly through PAGE leads to an accumulation of order activity which results in an additional dividend check paid out to PAGE members at the end of the year. The larger the volume of orders (which results in savings) then the larger the dividend and equity portion. These dividends will continue to accumulate provided the members purchase through preferred PAGE partners and those purchases flow through PAGE.
PAGE in essence is giving money to our membership through Savings on the front end (through orders) and Dividends and Equity Increases on the back end.
In addition to these two clear financial benefits, there are other advantages of reaching out first to PAGE to maximize your membership. These include subject matter support and new products and services.
Subject matter expertise and support
The PAGE Cooperative has subject matter expertise, for both product selection and troubleshooting issues with ordering materials. PAGE can be your one-stop shop for investigating solutions to your issue and providing options on paths forward. We can be quickly contacted by phone, email and a new chat feature on our website — www.pagecooperative.com — that is monitored throughout the day.
New products and services
Purchasing Power through the Cooperative is exactly that, powerful, and it is structured in a win-win model, as PAGE Preferred Partners deliver the best prices and support for members and in return receive preference when members look for products and solutions.
In 2021, PAGE expanded the scope of Preferred Partners to include new categories for Insurance, IT Security, Digital Marketing, Digital Editions and Archives and more will be forthcoming. We recognize that these services are likely in use by all our members. However, if PAGE can provide better pricing, better products and better support, then that will significantly benefit our members today and in the future.
Check with the PAGE Cooperative and see how the value you receive adds up.
For those not familiar, PAGE is a not-for-profit Cooperative founded in 1984 and owned by its publishing and commercial printing members. PAGE provides newspapers and commercial printers collective strength to negotiate pricing and obtain services. Cooperative membership also simplifies billing and returns PAGE members with dividend payments at the end of each fiscal year. For more information on services and membership visit, www.pagecooperative.com. Or, reach out to me at don@pagecooperative.com.
