Forum Post: So you think a cooperative is a great way to go - well here's a start
Posted 11 years ago on Feb. 8, 2013, 9:09 p.m. EST by Shayneh
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It's tiresome to keep reading posts on this site with tons of suggestions on cooperatives, but with no follow up on actually doing it .
You continually talk about cooperatives and say how great they are. You provide all kinds of info about them but no one has taken the initiative to at least come up with a plan to get people involved in starting one.Especially the people on this site.
Well I am going to take the first step in at least giving you somewhat of an idea as to how to get one started.
What I would like anyone of you to do should you so desire, is take the information below, fill in the blanks outlining the requirements and then submit your plan.
Who knows, if your plan has validity, maybe you can get investors.
Step 1: Write a Business Plan - outline the kind of business you would like to start, outline your objective and your vision for the goals of your businesses. List what you think your initial cost will be to start this business and what you think it will cost to keep this business in operation for at least 1.5 years of it's inception. You can also provide information on how you come up with these costs.
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Step 2: List how and where you would get the business employees and trained employees you want to work for you.
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Step 3: Choose a Business Location that you think would be Ideal that would make the business successful.
Step 4: Provide information on how you would finance the business - If it's a cooperative then list sources where you think you could get investors. . Step 5: Determine the Legal Structure of Your Business as a nonprofit or cooperative. and outline how you would structure your businesses when it comes to shares of the business.
Step 6: Chose a Business Name ("Doing Business As") that you would think best identify your business.
Step 7: Provide a list of agencies that you think you would be required to register with to get a "tax identification number.
Step 8: Provide a list of agencies that you think you would be required to register with for payment of all taxes and insurance. . Also list the taxes you think you would be required to pay.
Step 9: Provide a list of agencies where you would need to obtain business licenses and permites requried for your business - be it federal, state and local agencies.
Step 10: Provide a description of Employer Responsibilities and the legal steps you need to take to hire employees
Now if your main objective is to criticize then no imput is required. If you can offer "positive suggestions" or add more info that would make it more plausable to actually get a businesses going, and fits in with starting a businesses, then by all means submit it
I am looking for positive feedback - lets see if it is possible for those of you whom dislike current businesses to join in and work towards starting a cooperative. You never know what may happen if things click.
let us know when you have it all set up.
hehe
someone who understands sarcasm! fucking finally. these fucking people either have no balls or no humor or both. politically correct biatches.
Hey I'm providing information on how to set it up - everyone talks about how great they are and how they will get rid of capitalism so - this is a start - How about you - would you be interested -
If enough people are interested then it shouldn't be a problem to get started - someone just needs to take the steps to do it - and those who agree with it should invest in it - that's not so hard is it?
no, set it up.
It is a good start, having some rather concrete steps to take. The problem remains of how to fill in the blanks with our imaginations. Perhaps an actual example can help convey the ideas better.
Well there is no "imaginative" format - this format is a requirement by the small business association when applying for a small business loan.
It has nothing to do with "imagination" and all to do about providing concrete information with regard to understanding what a business is all about and what is required when starting a business.
I am just curious as to how many people on this site will actually take this information and do something with it in "hopes" of getting them to start their own bueinsess.
Are there actual filled-out and successful examples that you can give to people so that they have some ideas as to what were successful before in getting a small business loan from the small business [administration?]? It takes some imagination to decide what business to pursue and a person's frame of mind can vastly restrict or expand the possibilities but concrete examples usually help.
There is an old saying, "You can take them to the water but you cannot make them drink!" No matter, we just do the first part in hope that there will be follow-ups. Many things are just blind shots at best. Parents can probably understand that well.
The way I see it is like this. I see lots of posts on this site about how bad capitalism is, how bad businesses are and how they use "slave labor" for them to make their profits, and that it needs to be banished.
Now based on what these people say it is apparent that they want us to believe that they are well versed in the art of business ownership and day to day operations of a business and that is their basis for their condemnation
Now, on the other side there have been people out there who think "cooperatives" are a better idea and have expressed their ideas on them.
So on that basis what I have provided for these folks is a business plan outline for anyone of them to use to get their cooperatives started.
There should be no need for me or anyone else to "lead them" because they should already know how to do it - for if they can't then do you think they should be voiciing their opinions about either?
Now with regard to your question about "actual filled out and successful examples - yes there are examples out there on the net-
Do a search on the internet - how to start up and run a small business - and you will find tons of info out there.
However, you first have to understand what business ownership is all about and you can do a search - understanding business ownership ' - and I am sure you will find your answers.
Hope this helps.
Thanks for "throwing me a bone."
Here is a really good link to look at:
http://agmarketing.extension.psu.edu/business/startabusness/businessplanoutline.pdf
http://www.business-plan.com/outline.pdf
Are you interested in starting a business?
Yes, probably as a learning experience -- after all, as long as I keep a stop-order on it to limit my losses, I can chalk it up to "tuition."
Just food for thought, and I truly hope you get some good replies on this.
http://occupywallst.org/forum/p1-incorporation/#comment-892459
...leads to...
http://www.occupywallst.org/forum/p1-1-create-list-of-existing-co-operatives-and-pot/
...which links back to here. I'll be back sometime. This is almost a hobby for me (or is it all I wish for?):
Back to Topic References: http://occupywallst.org/forum/conglomerate-and-dgrc-topic-references/