Cooperative development is at the heart of everything we do in the Democratizing Ownership program. Here are the services we provide to groups forming a new worker cooperative and to established worker cooperatives.
For groups new to business or new to an industry we host regular training sessions to build skills that entrepreneurs will need throughout the life of their business. Our computer training course includes four sessions focused on including introductions to computers, email, Google Drive and Zoom. We also offer financial coaching to support entrepreneurs in setting and reaching personal financial goals.
Meanwhile, paired with a co-op developer, each group undertakes a discovery process to ensure that their business idea is viable, including market research, competitor analysis, and internal assessments of feasibility.
By the end of this phase, groups should have three or more members who are aligned around a profitable business idea and who understand the skills and resources they will need to develop their business.
Schedule a time to begin your Discovery & Readiness process.
In our Worker-Owned Co-op Academy, we support startup cooperatives on their journey to launch. This 3-part program focuses on building your group culture, developing a business model and aligning on how you plan to govern your co-op through legal agreements.
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"Thank you to CCWB for WOCA, I personally feel a step closer to being part of a cooperative, it's a full circle for me. It has given our coop members a foundation and now the real work has begun."
Priscilla Orozco-Garcia
Member of CCW's First Co-op Academy Cohort and Worker-Owner of Magnolia Bookkeeping Cooperative
"The academy provided good structure for us to think about how to bring our varied ideas together into 2a cooperative mindset. It forced us, in a good way, to think about things that we hadn't yet discussed and to work on critical steps for forming our co-op."
Annetta Crecelius
Member of CCW's First Co-op Academy Cohort and Worker-Owner of Meadow Creative
At the end of this phase, emerging co-ops should have a set of legal agreements, a business model, and a member’s manual. They should be poised to register with the Secretary of State and IRS and to set up a bank account as they begin operations.
For most startup co-ops, the end of WOCA is only the beginning. Graduates of the cooperative academy may qualify to receive additional multi-year support, including coaching, technical assistance, and back office services.
Stay tuned—we plan to offer our next Academy in early 2026! Please schedule a time to talk and learn more about joining the next cohort.
The Technical Assistance LAB offers targeted technical assistance and coaching to support Colorado cooperative businesses in developing sustainable operations and enhancing their leadership capacity. Serving both emerging businesses with basic infrastructure and established cooperatives with full operations, the program offers one-on-one leadership coaching, service packages, training, and workshops rooted in cooperative values. Through these services, the LAB helps cooperative leaders enhance their business and interpersonal skills, improve team dynamics and decision-making, and ultimately create more dignified working conditions while increasing revenue and wages for co-op members and their communities.
Whether you're taking your first steps in the business world or looking to expand and optimize existing operations, our programs are here to help. We recognize the diverse needs of cooperative businesses across growth stages and tailor our services to meet you where you are. TA LAB serves emerging and established cooperative businesses, and is a good fit if your cooperative falls into one of the following categories:
Get support to grow your business or explore employee ownership.
Partner with us to align your spending with community wealth building.
Invest in transformative economic change.
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