Co-operative Business – Traditionally Cutting Edge!
How can a business be efficient, profitable, and democratic?
- As a cooperative!
- Cooperatives are enterprises comprised of a group of people with common economic, social, or cultural goals that is owned and governed by the members democratically
Hear more at an interview or co-founder Ron Gaydos with Josh Lucas of the Work Hard Pittsburgh entrepreneur-owned incubator!
The Pittsburgh Chamber of Cooperatives is the hands-on resource for member and worker owned business in the Pittsburgh region. Please join it if you are…
- Part of a cooperative
- Starting a co-op or converting a business to a co-op
- Part of a community group or economic development organization that can help co-ops succeed
- Want to meet people to potentially team up with to build your cooperative business
Find out more at the Pittsburgh Chamber of Cooperatives web site.
Have you seen how many co-ops we have in Pittsburgh? Check out the directory from Cooperate Pittsburgh: https://cooperatepgh.
The Pittsburgh Chamber of Cooperatives holds frequent networking activities, educational events, and provides technical assistance to newly forming or existing cooperatives.
A cooperative is an organization that is owned and democratically controlled by its members, who may be individuals or independent organizations (including other coops). Within this model, there is a lot of flexibility. Some of their trainings in fact are very useful to any working groups interested in non-hierarchical and inclusive decision making.
Cooperatives exist with different structures, across many sectors, and with a variety of target members. Some of the main cooperative types are consumer (which includes buying clubs and credit unions), worker, producer, and housing coops.
Cooperatives are typically based on seven core principles:
• Voluntary and open membership
• Democratic member control
• Economic participation by members
• Autonomy and independence
• Education, training, and information
• Cooperation among cooperatives
• Concern for community
