In this episode of Punchcard, we speak with Ai Van Kok, formerly a financial analyst at Leeds Bread Co-op. She joined the co-op when the co-op’s cashflow was at a critical moment—it was just months away from being unable to pay its worker’s wages. Facing an urgent crisis, Ai Van turned to traditional business management literature for solutions, finding valuable insights in books like Profit First and The E-Myth Revisited.
One of the most impactful tools Ai Van discovered was the £1 model. Financial documents make most people’s eyes glaze over, but the £1 model strips away unnecessary details and highlights only the key information. For the first time, members of Leeds Bread Co-op felt they could truly understand the co-op’s finances and were able to cut costs that saved the business.
While Ai Van had to adapt these tools to fit a cooperative framework, her approach challenges resistance to learn from traditional business practices. By translating and repurposing these methods, she has not only helped Leeds Bread Co-op but also supported other small co-ops, including Loaf Bakery, The Bike Mill, and Footprint, in strengthening their financial understanding and management.
Watch in this supplementary video where Ai Van Kok breaks down the £1 model, explaining exactly how to use it and how to apply it to your cooperative.
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