Budget Season Challenge: Would You Rather?

September 12, 2025 by Julie Elliott, President

When fiber first entered the picture, we faced a choice: raise our fees to cover the added workload, or treat it as simply another service we’d help our clients promote. We chose the latter—and kept the same pricing model, even as the work grew.

Some might call that crazy. We call it our way of doing business. For 30 years, Inside Information has been about helping cooperatives better understand their members. We bring data together, enrich it with surveys and research, and then use it to craft communication that connects.

Today, many of our clients are taking fiber beyond their electric borders, stepping into competitive new markets. We’re right there with them—conducting market research on existing providers, securing prospect lists in soon-to-launch zones, and building campaigns that cut through the noise. From design and launch to ongoing evaluation, we share best practices from across the industry to set our clients up for success.

So as you head into budget season, remember: we’re here to help you stretch your dollars further while fueling smarter growth. Let’s connect for a 30-minute call to see what other cooperatives are doing and talk through pricing for services that fit your needs, including:

• Survey projects – non-subscriber, satisfaction, energy use, employee feedback and more
• Full-service subscription – unlimited research and targeted communication on demand

Because at the end of the day, our mission hasn’t changed in 30 years: helping you know your members, communicate with impact, and lead with confidence.

Featured Idea: Referral Programs

Have a program or service that you want more members to utilize? Nothing beats word of mouth promotion. Consider a referral program campaign that incentivizes current users and might even gain you a few more!

Refer a Friend to Fiber Examples:

First Electric Cooperatve/Connect2First Sample >>>

Pea River Cooperative Sample >>>

connectSCP Sample >>>