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.

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. 

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

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.

Who We've Worked With

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!