In or around South East London and 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? Yes?
Sister Midnight, The Community Shares Company and Co‑operatives UK have teamed up to deliver this FREE Is starting a co-op right for you? workshop on Wednesday 28 February, 6‑9pm at SET Social in Peckham.
You’ll gain a deeper understanding of co‑ops as successful, values‑based businesses as well as their purpose and benefits. Find out if your business or community enterprise idea suits the co‑op model.
Completely FREE to attend, this workshop is part of the Business Support for Co‑ops programme, which offers up to six days’ expert support to new and existing co‑ops, delivered with support from The Co‑operative Bank.
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 local co‑op expert. People from nearby co-operatives will also share their experiences of starting and running a co‑op.
This informative, interactive and fun session will give you a more in-depth understanding of co‑operatives, as well as the next steps for starting one.
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