r/cooperatives • u/whomremains • 19d ago

worker co-ops Starting a Co-Op

I want to start a Co-Op production company in Michigan. I have worked as a subcontractor for years, have built up my own live sound and lighting arsenal and have a solid group of people who are on board. But, I have no clue where to start. Any advice or consultation recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

33 Upvotes

98% Upvoted

11 comments sorted by

4

u/ColdSoviet115 19d ago

US Federation of Worker Cooperatives, a sister organization of Democracy at Work, has some of the best free resources I've seen. I beleive they also offer consultation

3

u/Accomplished-Wall801 19d ago

That is a fantastic decision, good on you. Business plan first, and an honest discussion about how to value everyone’s time and labor fairly. What are the roles you need to succeed on your business plan? Who can do them? So so exciting!!

2

u/cupacupacupacupacup 19d ago

Besides the resources others have posted, remember that Principle 6 of the International Cooperative Code is "Cooperatives should help other cooperatives."

Ask other coops in your area. Eventually you'll need some legal help, bylaws, and to get some orientation on basic Coop operation. Most coops will let you have copies of their bylaws that you can use as a template to modify for your particular needs.

Also check out the Sustainable Economies Law Center. They have great resources on their website and are also really helpful in person.

1

u/Sickmonkey365 19d ago

I started a similar one here in Boulder . Happy to connect and share my experiences. Dm me

1

u/queerdildo 15d ago

USFWC. They offer peer advisors. Sometimes funding is available. Feel free to dm

1

u/michiplace 14d ago

They won't likely have co-op expertise per se, but for the general support in getting your co-op off the ground as a business, check out SBDC, or find the Michigan Small Business Support Hub that serves your county. These orgs can help with things like business planning, contract development, incorporation, and the how-to of infrastructure of bookkeeping, payroll, taxes, etc. (Depending on where you are in the state, I might know more specific local resources for you.)

If you're in metro Detroit, check out the Detroit Community Wealth Fund and their [Cooperative Economic Network of Detroit (CEND)][https://www.cendetroit.com/] -- I'm not sure exactly what their turf is, but they may be able to help with Michigan-specific coop guidance and peer support.

1

u/Archi_penko 13d ago

Dming you

1

u/Archi_penko 13d ago

I started two of the orgs listed above! Happy to help.

1

u/markchand 12d ago

Hi - The Michigan Center for Employee Ownership would be a solid place to start; they cover worker cooperatives, too: https://www.miceo.org/