Nature’s Bin is a thriving example of a business model that has sustainability as the backbone at both ends of the value chain; what is offered to the customer and how it is made. The inspiration for adopting this focus is manifested through integrating education/training and retail sales. With the capabilities of the parent company, Cornucopia, which is a non-profit providing vocational and skill-based training to people with disabilities, and the business acumen of Nature’s Bin as a fresh foods store, the match between societal need and business benefit is beautifully achieved.
Innovation
Nature’s Bin is a natural fresh foods market which is one of the many successful initiatives by Cornucopia, Inc., a non-profit organization providing vocational training to people with disabilities. Nature’s Bin’s business is built around providing high quality natural foods in a beautiful, comfortable setting while simultaneously providing a training center for people with disabilities.
Cornucopia provides work adjustment and placement services that helps participants develop work habits, employable skills, and attitudes essential to survive and succeed in the job market. Typical issues dealt with in the training are social interactions, attendance, punctuality, flexibility, work speed, work quality, following directions, and personal grooming. This is then used to fit the trainee to the available job opportunities.
The innovation of Cornucopia’s approach comes from the community-based training sites. The training sites hosting the participants provide the on-the-job opportunity for learning the aspects of the work adjustment program.
Nature’s Bin is one of their unique and successful programs that also serves as a training site. Participants for the training program come from wide range of social and economic backgrounds. The training lasts for about 8-12 weeks in which the trainees work side by side with regular employees. Understanding what entails in a retail setting and facing the challenges and rewards of a competitive employment are learnt in a nurturing environment.
All Nature’s Bin employees serve as a trainer as regular part of their jobs. In addition to providing the best service possible in their positions, whether they’re prepping in the kitchen, stocking produce, working at the deli or being a cashier they also act as a teacher and mentor to the store’s trainees, helping them find their strengths and build their skills. The meticulous training and mentoring helps the participants figure out where they want to seek future employment based on their individualized goals and skills. In some instances the participants discover new areas of interests on the way enabling them re-write their work life trajectory.
Other similar partnerships with Target and Eliza Jennings Senior Care Network have been forged to gain training sites that are beneficial for both Cornucopia and the host. The training typically involves stocking, zoning, cleaning and cashiering.
Impact
Nature’s Bin's growth and expansion in terms of more business and expanding store space points toward the success of the model. The company has achieved profit increases of 7-10% per year compared to 2% of most chain stores. Some of the returning customers come 2-3 times a week. The success is also realized in terms of high morale of the employees who see a purpose in their work. Serving as a coach helps in their own development which is then reflected in their performance.
The societal impact of this is evidenced in the fact that on an average each year work skills training are provided to more than 200 people with various disabilities. Additionally, the impact hoped for and achieved is in educating the community about the disabled through their interactions and information provided by Nature’s Bin, in turn facilitating their mainstreaming in the society.
As for Cornucopia, through its community-based training sites, it has been able to establish top-notch training platforms with built-in employment potential for the trainees. In return, Nature’s Bin gets an in-house pool of good quality employment candidates for their routine jobs that need to be continually filled.
Inspiration
The inspiration is lucid in Cornucopia’s mission of helping people with disabilities develop their skills, confidence, and workplace potential. The determination to make a change is echoed in their emphasis on helping participants deal with and thrive in the competitive job market rather than simply survive. Nature’s Bin believes in serving the disabled and the customers with equal vigor. The business philosophy of creating a positive impact in the community through an entrepreneurial business venture is obvious in the founder’s words, “If you re doing the right thing good things will happen to you”.
The World Inquiry editorial team edited this profile from the original submission of the interviewer or other source. The views expressed do not necessarily represent Case Western Reserve University, the Weatherhead School of Management or the Center for Business as an Agent of World Benefit. More >>
