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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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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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 […]
Read More »Hello, I’m Lisa Nelson, founder and attorney at Positive Law, LLC in Ohio that advises mission-driven enterprises. I don’t know about you, but I like to start my day with positive news. I like to learn about people up to good things in the world. It gives me hope and inspiration. Here are my top […]
Read More »If you need a little inspiration today, let’s talk about a food justice campaigner in Detroit named Malik Yakitini. He is founder of the Detroit Black Food Security Network (DBCFSN), which operates a D-Town Farm, a 7-acre plot, and is getting set to launch a Coop-Grocery store this year. Since 2016, Malik has been working […]
Read More »A consumer cooperative is an enterprise that is owned by its members who derive benefits from being a member. Consumer coops may offer products or services, and this coop model can be utilized in Ohio by a wide range of business sectors. Often consumer coops start to fill a need within a community. For example, […]
Read More »Producer cooperatives, sometimes known as marketing coops, are owned by people who offer similar types of goods or services. Producer cooperatives are popular in Ohio among agricultural (i.e., farms) businesses, where it makes good business sense to pool resources to market products and get perishable goods to consumers efficiently. Like purchasing coops, the owner-members of […]
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