A Guide to Setting up a Co-operative in Ontario

Excerpt:

WHAT CO-OPERATIVES CAN DO FOR YOU  AND YOUR COMMUNITY 

For many years, Ontarians have used co-operatives as a way of combining their energy, skills, and resources to reach shared goals and fulfil common needs. People form co-ops to: 

! Lower the cost of business supplies and consumer goods. Because business service co-ops and consumer supply co-ops buy in bulk, members benefit from lower costs on everything from food to fertilizers. 

! Start their own businesses and create their own jobs. Worker co-ops are enterprises owned and operated by their employees. Worker co-ops can be formed for any business purpose, from carpentry to film production. 

! Get better prices for products and services. By forming marketing or producer co-ops, people can earn more from their products and services by selling directly to the public. These co-ops also help producers lower their marketing and distribution costs. 

! Obtain convenient, reasonably priced child care. Child care co-ops give parents an important

role in shaping the care of their children. 

! Find affordable housing and have a chance to help make the decisions about the upkeep of their homes. 

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