People talking over papers

for emerging, existing, and expanding enterprises

You don’t have to struggle alone if you’re interested in using a cooperative structure to do business.

We provide a wide range of consulting services custom for startups and growing co-ops located in the Carolinas, as well as services specifically for businesses converting to the cooperative model.

Core Services

You don’t have to struggle alone. We provide a wide range of consulting services for businesses converting to a cooperative enterprise, as well as specifically for startups and growing co-ops.

technical assistance

  • Business planning
  • Strategic planning
  • Feasibility assessments
  • Market research

financial capital

  • External capital
  • Owner capital
  • Financial feasibility study
  • Financial scenarios
  • Financial management

legal counsel

  • Structure
  • Bylaws
  • Governance

cooperative education

  • Board training and development
  • Grant writing
  • Ongoing business education
  • Curricula development
  • Co-op orientation/co-op culture

Our trusted cooperative developers can help you take an innovative and tactical approach to organizing your co-op, building strategy and raising capital. The best way to decide if operating a cooperative enterprise is for you, or learn what you need to get started, is to talk to us!

Co-op models

Co-ops are collectively owned and operated enterprises that create economic opportunity and help people create personal assets that are anchored in the communities they serve.

This business model is applied in many different settings and businesses, for example:

  • Consumer cooperatives, such as a natural foods grocery, are owned by the people who use the co-op for products.
  • Producer cooperatives collectively process and market crops and obtain better prices, sharing the cost of feed, seed and other materials where buying in quantity can achieve a cost savings.
  • Worker cooperatives share ownership of the business among the people who work in them, who have democratic governance over their affairs.

Cooperatives also follow the seven cooperative principles that guide how the business is run and how decisions are made.

See how we’ve helped a variety of co-ops. No matter what type of co-op you’re interested in operating, the CCE cooperative developers are ready to assist with a custom plan.

still have questions?

some common questions include:

  • Can you help us get funding?
  • Do you work on existing cooperatives?
  • How do we start a co-op?
  • Are your services customizable?