As an Ohio attorney that works with cooperatives, I often get asked the question: What is the difference between an ESOP and a Worker Cooperative? Converting an existing business to a Worker Cooperative or creating an ESOP are two options often explored by business owners interested in succession (or retirement) planning — although a start-up […]
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A circular economy business will, generally speaking, take something that is considered a waste product and turn it into a viable new product. Instead of traditional linear business models that put stuff in landfills, circular economy businesses aim to keep stuff out. This regenerative concept is familiar to many nowadays with businesses that recycle, upcycle, […]
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Located in the heart of downtown Burlington, Vermont, the City Market / Onion River Co-op grocery store is worthy of business study (and a visit if you’re in the area). My experience of the market began by strolling past the elaborate bicycle parking and wildflower gardens up to the entrance, which was framed by bright […]
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ESG (Environmental, social, and governance) is a set of standards established by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for measuring a business’ ethical impact on the environment and society. The SEC requires that all public companies to disclose information important to investors, which as of 2022 includes ESG-related risks. However, this added requirement has been […]
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It is rather exception to find a long-established worker cooperative (co-op) that is a restaurant (and bar), but in southern Ohio, The Casa Nueva Restaurant and Casa Cantina has been a staple in the college town of Athens for over 37 years. Affectionately known by the locals as The Casa, it started as a restaurant […]
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A sharing economy is really a reinvention of how we do business and live life. The concepts are not new, but they are not currently mainstream. As the good folks at the Sharing Economy Law Center wrote in their legal treatise, “This new economy facilitates community ownership, localized production, sharing, cooperation, small scale enterprise, and the regeneration of economic and natural abundance.” […]
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Sharable, a news source for interesting, informative and inspiring things in the realm of the sharing economy, is offering a (free) online event Enabling Good Work: A Conversation with Sara Horowitz and John Restakis, on Tuesday, September 7th, 2022, from Noon to 1:30 PM EST. To learn more about the event and to register to […]
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Rust Belt Riders (RBR) and Tilth Soil in Cleveland, Ohio work together as a circular economy business that is now also a worker-owned cooperative. The Rust Belt Riders business collects organic food waste from individuals and businesses throughout Cuyahoga County and Tilth Soil composts the organic material and turns it into extremely high-quality soil. Fresh […]
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Part of the reason I appreciate cooperative business models in Ohio is the flexibility they offer. They can be legally structured to meet the needs of an organization or business, which may result in creating a multi-stakeholder cooperative. The term “multi-stake holder cooperative” (also called hybrid or solidarity model cooperatives) refers to cooperatives that […]
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Business owners and organizations forming in Ohio — or those interested in converting to a cooperative business model — can choose from five different cooperative business models. This is a quick overview of each type. Click on each type to learn more specifics and see examples. Five Different Types of Cooperative Business Models: You may […]
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