Boston Center for Community Ownership

    Practical tools that co-ops need

    Whether you’re getting started, converting a business to cooperative ownership, or growing and improving your existing cooperative, we can provide hands-on help. 

    Guiding you through the Process

    Creating cooperative enterprises is an exciting and inspiring (but challenging) process, and it’s easy to get overwhelmed.  Becoming a business owner always carries risks, even in a cooperative.

    While it’s certainly possible to start a new co-op on your own, the process will be smoother and easier with some guidance from those who have been there before and know the nuts and bolts.

    Our co-op organizers live in the communities we serve, and have extensive practical experience in cooperative and small business management.

    Learn more about Us

    What We Do

    BCCO provides the practical tools needed by co-op entrepreneurs.  We provide hands-on assistance to cooperatives, whether you’re getting started, converting a business to cooperative ownership, or growing and improving your existing cooperative. 

    Our Services

    Education & Training

    Public workshops and customized trainings
    Toolbox

    Technical Assistance

    Including bookkeeping & back office services
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    Organizing & Place-Based Strategy

    Participatory community planning
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    Startups & Conversions

    Creating and sustaining co-ops

    Why BCCO?

    Co-Op Organizers

    Our work is rooted in community organizing. Our process always begins with the workers.

    Our co-op organizers live in the communities we serve, and have extensive practical experience in cooperative and small business management.

    Experience

    We have spent many years working in co-ops and small businesses in the roles of: bookkeeper, sales, business manager, project manager, and board member.

    We speak from personal experience with a wide variety of industries, and have real-world knowledge of the details involved in running a co-op.

    Accountability

    Our responsibility is to the co-ops we serve, not to funders or lenders.  We don’t control the co-ops we help incubate. 

    When you choose to work with us on your co-op project, you are in charge of the relationship.

    Our resources will help you meet your goals

    AllWorkshop

    Talleres de Gobernanza Cooperativa

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    Cooperative Governance Series

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    2019 Small Business Financial Planning

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    See All Resources

    Many of us dream of a better future, and believe the way forward is a just, sustainable, and humane economy built on cooperation.

    We want a say in the decisions that affect our lives, and a more equitable distribution of wealth and resources. BCCO can help turn those dreams into a reality by guiding organizations through the cooperative development process.

    Learn how to Support OUr Work Building Cooperatives

    Who We've Worked With

    Tierra Fertil
    This community of new farmers from Central America had a vision of growing healthy food for their community, while providing some extra income for their families. BCCO, in partnership with the Democracy at Work Institute, helped the co-op members create their first business plan and financial projections, and facilitated the process of developing their operating agreement with their lawyer
    CERO Co-op
    BCCO created the Co-op Academy that provided the base of education and training needed for low-income Boston residents to launch CERO Co-op. Since its founding, we have provided support to CERO, in partnership with CFNE and Ujima Boston, in governance, financial planning, and finding financing. We created a participatory budgeting process to involve workers at every level of the organization to help shape the financial goals of the co-op, and supported the process of raising the initial capital for the co-op through a direct public offering.
    Boston Cleaning Collective
    When Marina Maldonado had the idea to improve her own working conditions by starting a cooperative cleaning company, she shopped around for the help she needed, and found willing partners in Teamworks Institute and BCCO. With funding from the City of Boston On-Site Technical Assistance Program and the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, we helped Boston Cleaning Collective streamline their sales and operations by setting up a field service software platform that handles customer requests, invoicing, and scheduling, and integrates directly with Quickbooks. We also helped the co-op develop a financial projection and an easy-to-read dashboard of KPI’s so important financial and operational information is accessible to all the co-op members. With the appropriate use of technology, as well as ongoing training, the members are empowered to make the best decisions for their co-op.
    DMA Health Strategies
    When the owner of their company announced his plans to retire, employees of DMA Health Strategies wanted to explore continuing the business as a worker-owned cooperative. After running into a dead end at their local SBA office, they found us. Over the course of 16 months, BCCO led the future worker-owners through a process of planning and preparing for the conversion, which included an assessment of the company’s financial performance, management structure, and policy documents. We worked with Jessica Manganello at New Leaf Legal to create the bylaws for the new co-op, and walked the members through each step of the deal, until they emerged as the new co-owners of their employer.
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    We want to hear from you!

    Have an idea for a new co-op? Or would your organization would like to support its members?

    We partner with individuals, grassroots membership organizations, and municipalities to transform co-op ideas from vision to reality – No matter what stage of development you are in!