Co-operatives are started by ordinary people who want to work together to create access to the goods and services they need. Getting that ball rolling, though, is often tricky. Co-ops require a group to get them started – there’s no such thing as a co-op of one — and finding people to join your steering committee who are willing to dedicate some time, effort, and money to your project can take work.   

If you recognize a need in your community or an opportunity to capitalize on a gap, and you think a co-op might be a good fit, the first step is finding people to create it with you. Try one of these methods for getting more people together to move your co-op forward.   

1. Host a town hall meeting

Why not try an old-fashioned meeting to generate interest in your project or test the waters to see if there’s appetite among your neighbours to take part? Post some flyers around town, share information on the town’s social media pages, or canvas your neighbourhood to get people out.   

Hosting a meet-up is a great opportunity to present your idea and collect feedback from members of your community. And be sure to give people the chance to get involved: circulate a sign-up sheet and capture those who are interested in learning more or participating. If you’ve noticed a need in your community, others likely share the same concern, so finding your founding members might be as simple as asking.   

It may also be helpful to loop in some experts to help you articulate your vision and make your case to the town. Contact the team at Co-operatives First for some examples of similar projects or ideas for how to structure your business. And, if you’ve got a team already assembled, we can connect over Zoom to provide some guidance on moving your co-op forward.   

2. Start a conversation on social media  

Maybe a meeting isn’t your style, and you want to test the waters online. Try using social media to connect with your community. Most towns will have Facebook pages or groups dedicated to sharing local events and news. You might want to sift through these a little so you’re not trying to recruit steering committee members from a page dedicated to memes or trash-talking council. Run things by the group’s administrator before posting and use some the tools that are available for free to get input. Creating a Facebook poll or a Google form to collect feedback on your idea is an easy way to gather some data.   

Be mindful of the connections you make on social media. Since most commenters will be more casually interested, this may not be the best avenue for finding your co-op’s founding team members. Social media may, however, be a good catalyst for coordinating a meet-up of people who are interested in solving the problem you’ve recognized and getting more involved.   

Social media can also be a great recruitment tool once your project is underway. Lots of childcare co-ops, for example, recruit members through social media. And, once your co-op is up and running, social media is a must for creating communication channels with your members, target market, or supporters.   

3. Involve your local government

Generally, co-ops emerge where governments or big businesses fail to meet a need. But your local government can be one of your co-op’s biggest supporters. Whether you’re in the very early stages or you’ve assembled a team, your town’s economic development team or Community Futures are great resources. These organizations can provide referrals to service-providers, guidance on starting a business, or space to host meetings.   

In some cases — like if your co-op will provide an important community service — the town might allocate some staff time or funding to support your project. Having an economic development officer or seasoned business analyst on your steering committee or offering some admin support will bring a lot of value to your project and help accelerate progress.   

Learn more  

If you’re interested in starting a co-op and want to learn more about the steps you’ll need to take, check out our Intro to Co-ops online course. You can work through some exercises that will help you build your co-operative business while working towards becoming a certified co-op entrepreneur.