Starting a co-op is a challenging and immensely rewarding activity. It will require research, careful planning, patience, and uncounted hours of work from you and many of your members. The co-op may not turn out exactly as it was originally conceptualized. It will inevitably take longer than you wish it would to get started.
But for groups that invest the time and hard work to start a co-op, there are abundant benefits. You will learn about business and develop new skills. You will learn how to run productive meetings. You will become the co-owner, with others, of a dynamic and valuable business. Most of all, you will have a vibrant business providing jobs and meeting daily needs in your community. Good luck!
Cooperative Development Centers
A list of cooperative development centers across the United States.
Food Co-op 500
A support system that seeks to enable a faster and more efficient start-up process to develop new retail grocery co-ops.
Resource Organizations for New Co-ops
A list of resource organizations for co-ops, mostly oriented to rural and agricultural co-ops.
Services Available from USDA
A guide to the cooperative services offered through the USDA’s Rural Cooperative Business Services division.
This guide is designed to give groups interested in starting a retail food co-op a basic overview of the steps and procedures they will need to follow. It is not an exhaustive or comprehensive reference document. It is intended to highlight the general factors critical to starting a successful co-op and to provide an understanding of this overall process. Readers are strongly encouraged to check additional references besides this guide. Resources are listed through the material.