Scott Beers

Organization
LOTTSA Financial Services
Scott Beers is an accountant and tax preparer based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and is principal of LOTTSA Financial Services.

Author's Articles

Title Issue Date

This month we study a case example of how the ratios presented in Cooperative Grocer can be used to analyze a co-op's financial position and direction.

074 January - February - 1998 May 10, 2011

Editor's note:

064 May - June - 1996 December 28, 2010

Planning is about thinking of what you would like to have happen and then making an educated guess about what is likely to happen in the marketplace and what you would reasonably

066 September - October - 1996 January 9, 2004

Did you know that giving member discounts is not one of the cooperative principles?

063 March - April - 1996 January 9, 2004

Creating a good template for financial planning is an investment on the co-op's part -- a darned good one.

Computer spreadsheets make the task of financial

067 November - December - 1996 January 9, 2004

Like the 2,000 pound gorilla at a small party, whether you choose to acknowledge it or not, risk is always present, just standing there at the pretzel bowl waiting for you to tur

068 January - February - 1997 January 9, 2004

Good systems show themselves by not showing themselves at all. In a well run store, product, people, and purchases flow in and out in a seemingly effortless ebb and flow.

069 March - April - 1997 January 9, 2004

We think every day about what it costs to do different things -- 89 cents to buy a pound of organic bananas, seven dollars to see "Lethal Weapon 4," etc.

079 November - December - 1998 January 9, 2004

The ability to raise capital -- to collect a little bit from a lot of people and build something greater than anybody's bit could have built alone -- is one of the great strengths o

076 May - June - 1998 January 9, 2004

By Scott Beers and Margaret Lund

One of the absolutely vital committees of any co-op board is the finance committee.

075 March - April - 1998 January 9, 2004

Profit alone does not guarantee success or even survival.

085 November - December - 1999 January 8, 2004

Ask co-op members anywhere, "What's the purpose of this co-op, anyway?" and you'll likely get some variation of the answer, "To serve the members." Ask them how best to do that, how

080 January - February - 1999 January 8, 2004

A relative recently gave one of us a book of pithy personal advice with the humble title of "How to do Everything Right" (we won't dwell on the reason for this particular gift).

084 September - October - 1999 January 8, 2004

Legacy is the challenge of having the thrust of your life or your organization's be perpetuated beyond an individual lifetime.

081 March - April - 1999 January 8, 2004

Look down -- you may be standing on a gold mine. Then again, your facility may be just a black hole you throw money down once a month.

082 May - June - 1999 January 8, 2004

Every lender probably has experienced some version of the following exchange:

086 January - February - 2000 January 8, 2004