Is starting a co-op right for you?

Are you thinking of starting a business? Or looking for a different approach to your existing business or community venture? Do you want it to be inclusive, democratic and empowering for everyone involved?

Completely FREE to attend, Is starting a co-op right for you? is brought to you by Co-operative Development Scotland. It is part of a series of events taking place across the UK through Co-operatives UK‘s Business Support for Co-ops programme.

Our session - brought to you by Co-operative Development Scotland - is part of a wider series of events taking place across the UK through Co-operatives UK‘s Business Support for Co-ops programme.

Why co-ops?

All kinds of businesses operate as co-ops – pubs, energy suppliers, taxi firms, bookstores, community gardens, wine sellers, farms, sports clubs and much more.

They are run by their members, who can be customers, employees, residents or suppliers – and who have a say in how the co-op is run, making it a fairer, more collaborative – and democratic way of doing business.

Co-ops are also resilient as a business model. They are more than twice as likely to survive the early years of trading when compared to other start-up businesses.

What to expect:

The workshop will be led by a co-op specialist from Co-operate Scotland and features guests from local co-ops:

• Harlaw Hydro
• Open Data

Our guests will share their experiences of starting and running a co-op.

This informative and interactive workshop will give you a more in-depth understanding of co-operatives, as well as the next steps for starting one. You’ll discover:

• A brief history of co-ops
• The different kinds of co-ops and which might suit you best
• What membership means
• The strengths of co-ops versus traditional business models
• Co-op values and principles
• Co-op facts and figures
• The different legal forms a co-op can take
• Support for Co-ops from Co-operative Development Scotland and Co-operatives UK

Tea and coffee will be provided on arrival and the light lunch will be available after our speakers have presented.