Is starting a co-op right for you?

This webinar is brought to you by the Business Support for Co-ops – a programme of support for new and existing co‑ops delivered by Co‑operatives UK in partnership with The Co‑operative Bank.

About the webinar

Are you thinking about starting a co-operative? Are you looking for a different approach to your business or community enterprise? Do you want it to be equitable, inclusive and empowering for everyone involved? Then this webinar is for you.

Co-operative and community owned businesses are run by their members to meet their shared needs. Members have a say in how the co‑op is run, making it a fairer, more collaborative and democratic way of doing business.

Sign up for this FREE one‑hour webinar to find out more about co‑ops, the benefits they offer and how to get a co‑op business off the ground. 

Join Co‑operatives UK’s Petra Morris and Dane Pollard for an informative, inspiring session with examples of successful co‑ops that do business differently – putting control in the hands of their workers, customers and suppliers – and trading profitably, ethically and fairly as a result.

Format

• An online one-hour webinar on Zoom
• Presentations from Petra and Dane with the opportunity to ask questions

How much does it cost?

This webinar is FREE to everyone who wants to attend.

What attendees will learn?

• What a co-operative is and the purpose of co-ops
• Co-op values and principles
• The economic, social and personal benefits of running a co-op business
• How to decide if a co-op is the right business model for you
• Examples of successful co-ops
• Different types of co-ops
• The different legal options
• What support is available for those wishing to set up a co-op, including the Business Support for Co-ops programme
• Next steps

Who should attend?

Anyone keen to learn more about co-operatives, this includes:

• People and groups looking to start-up a business
• New start-ups and young businesses
• Existing businesses wanting to give employees more control and ownership
• Community enterprises wanting to give the community more control and ownership
• Businesses considering an employee buy-out or a more ethical model
• Anyone wanting to learn more about co-ops: business advisors, local authorities, community leaders, voluntary sector support agencies, etc

About the speakers

Petra Morris works in the Development Team at Co‑operatives UK and leads on the delivery of the Business Support for Co-ops programme, which has supported thousands of co‑ops. She’s busy co‑operating elsewhere too, as a voluntary Director (Secretary) of Friends of Stretford Public Hall, a historic multi‑purpose building owned by its 800 investor members. Petra has previously run her own business and spent many years in local government promoting tourism, economic development and supporting local communities.

Dane Pollard works in Co‑operatives UK's Advice Team and specialises in providing guidance to start‑up co‑ops, supporting them with governance, processes and policies. He’s also the account manager for members that have set up in the last two years, so he knows the challenges involved in starting up a co‑op business. With a background in retail and corporate client management, he’s passionate about helping people – and about the power of co‑ops to make a difference. 

Recording the webinar

This webinar will be recorded. We will share the recording with participants shortly afterwards. If you cannot attend this one, you can sign up for another Is starting a co-op right for you? webinar on 7 February 2024 and sign up for Co-operatives UK newsletters to keep up to date with other future webinars. Alternatively, visit our step by step: start a co-op tool, our Discover Co-ops page featuring previous introductory webinars, or read about the business support available to start-up co-ops.