8:30am - 10:30am

How to Transform an Existing Business into a Successful and Sustainable Co-op

Date: November 12, 2014
Location: CSI Annex, 720 Bathurst, 1st floor, The Garage

It’s a rewarding challenge to create any business from scratch. Unfortunately, eight out of ten start-up businesses fail. There is another alternative: transforming an existing business to a co-operatively-owned enterprise. As baby-boomer small business owners and entrepreneurs prepare to move into retirement, employee buyouts and community co-ops may be the fast-track to launching a successful social enterprise.

Learn how to assess opportunities and the steps to a successful conversion.

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The Co-op Model Workshop Series
Co-operatives are a distinctive and highly successful form of social enterprise. One or more stakeholder groups (consumers, employees, entrepreneurs, and/or other organizations) jointly own and democratically direct the enterprise to meet their objectives. In Ontario alone, we have more than 1,200 co-operative enterprises and organizations in 400 communities with 15,000 employees.

The Shared Ownership Workshop Series is a joint initiative of Centre for Social Innovation, Enterprise Toronto and On Co-op.

In this series of three workshops, participants will learn about the distinctive features and values of co-operative enterprises; how these enterprises are structured and incorporated, with a focus on employee-owned co-operatives; and how succession planning can be used to transform an existing business into a co-operative enterprise. Participants will also have opportunity to engage with co-op practitioners and entrepreneurs.

• Could Shared Ownership be Right for You? (Oct. 2) read more
• Baristas, Clerks & Geeks: Own Your Own Job (Oct. 22) read more

8:30am - 10:30am

How Social Innovators are Using Co-op Enterprises

Date: October 2, 2014
Location: CSI Annex, 720 Bathurst, 4th floor, Neville Austin Studio

Co-operatives, one of the earliest forms of social enterprise, have been part of Canadian communities and the economy for more than 100 years. And today’s co-op entrepreneurs are creating new approaches, entering new markets and creating waves like never before.

Participants will learn about the distinctive features, benefits and various types of co-operative enterprises - how they are structured, incorporated, create jobs, provide services and contribute to their communities – as well as engage with successful co-op entrepreneurs.

Read more

Register now

The Co-op Model Workshop Series
Co-operatives are a distinctive and highly successful form of social enterprise. One or more stakeholder groups (consumers, employees, entrepreneurs, and/or other organizations) jointly own and democratically direct the enterprise to meet their objectives. In Ontario alone, we have more than 1,200 co-operative enterprises and organizations in 400 communities with 15,000 employees.

The Shared Ownership Workshop Series is a joint initiative of Centre for Social Innovation, Enterprise Toronto and On Co-op.

In this series of three workshops, participants will learn about the distinctive features and values of co-operative enterprises; how these enterprises are structured and incorporated, with a focus on employee-owned co-operatives; and how succession planning can be used to transform an existing business into a co-operative enterprise. Participants will also have opportunity to engage with co-op practitioners and entrepreneurs.

• Baristas, Clerks & Geeks: Own Your Own Job (Oct. 22) read more
• Buy Out the Boss (Nov. 12) read more

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The Ontario Co-operative Association (On Co-op), with sponsorship by PenFinancial Credit Union, is hosting the final roundtable events on Friday, November 21st beginning at 8:30am (doors open at 8am). The goal of this roundtable event is to explore the Blueprint for a Cooperative Decade, in an effort to better understand our own contributions, as well as the possible outcomes of the movement. This session will offer your co-op practical tools to take back and implement with the goal to enhance the success of the Blueprint. This workshop will be led by a member of the On Co-op team.

This event is also an opportunity to meet other co-operative leaders, share information about your co-operative and explore where co-operative activities may support the growth and success of all Niagara's co-operatives.

On Co-op will also be collecting suggested training needs for an upcoming regional conference tentatively scheduled for February 2015.

Come out and enjoy a coffee, breakfast and fabulous company as we continue On Co-op's roundtable series!

Register now

This project is made possible by the Ontario Trillium Foundation. The Ontario Trillium Foundation is an agency of the Government of Ontario.  We also kindly thank PenFinancial Credit Union for their support of two roundtable events in Niagara.

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The Ontario Co-operative Association (On Co-op) is hosting its fifth roundtable event on Friday, November 14th beginning at 9am (doors open at 8:30am). The goal of this roundtable event is to bring together cooperative nursery school/day care leaders and their board members from around Niagara to discuss the current state of their co-operative as well as current challenges and any training needs they are facing in their current environment.

The Niagara Workforce Planning Board may also be in attendance to collect your thoughts and stories for possible inclusion in a white paper focused on the role of co-operatives in Niagara. On Co-op will also be collecting suggested training needs for an upcoming regional conference tentatively scheduled for February 2015.

Come out and enjoy a coffee, morning snacks and fabulous company as we continue On Co-op's roundtable series!

Register now

In registering for this event, you will also be subscribed to the monthly On Co-op e-newsletter. You may unsubscribe at any time following the instructions in each newsletter.

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To continue building on the momentum and the success the Ontario Co-operative Association (On Co-op) have had over the past two years with their Regional Conference and Roundtables, they are increasing their efforts to engage more individuals and organizations in these unique learning and networking opportunities. More importantly, instead of you going to one provincial conference, On Co-op will be coming to you!

Under their "Co-op Outreach" banner, On Co-op will be travelling across the province with a series of 6 Conferences and 30 Roundtables, with the goal of fostering:

• Local co-op clusters/networks
• Community collaboration
• Capacity-building
• Co-op development

Register now

This project is made possible by the Ontario Trillium Foundation. The Ontario Trillium Foundation is an agency of the Government of Ontario.

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The Ontario Co-Operative Association, in conjunction with the TeamWerks and The Cooperators - (located at the LPH Thunder Bay), is hosting a Roundtable Event on November 7, 2014 starting at 12:30pm.

The goal of this roundtable event is to bring together cooperative leaders and volunteers, business development and financing professionals, as well as other entrepreneurs and interested community residents.

Join us for lunch provided by ‘CafeWeks’ and meet with Co-Operative leaders in the region to create and strengthen Co-Operative networks, and determine training needs for NorthWestern Ontario On-Co Op conference which is scheduled for February 6, 2015 at the Marriott Towne Suites in Thunder Bay. We will also be provided with a tour of ‘TeamWerks’ which is one of the largest and most successful worker Co-Ops in Ontario which operates a number of businesses that serve the public on a daily basis.

Register now

In registering for this event, you will also be subscribed to the monthly On Co-Op e-newsletter. You may unsubscribe at any time following the instructions in each newsletter.