Co-operatives

A cooperative is a business. Co-ops range in size from small stores to large Fortune 500 companies. In many ways, they're like any other business; but in several important ways, they're unique and different. Cooperatives:

1. Are owned and democratically controlled by their members - the people who use the co-op's services or buy its products - not by outside investors.
2. Return surplus revenues (income over expenses and investment) to members proportionate to their use of the cooperative, not proportionate to their "investment" or ownership share.
3. Are motivated not by profit but by service to meet their member's needs and by offering high quality goods and services. Cooperatives exist solely to serve their members.

According to Wikipedia, a cooperative ("coop") or co-operative ("co-op") is an autonomous association of persons who voluntarily cooperate for their mutual, social, economic, and cultural benefit. Ace Hardware, Land O'Lakes and Associated Press are some examples of better known cooperatives. Equanomics will ultimately be a network of co-operatives across the country and perhaps all over the world. As a business owner, these will be your customers.