Lean Co-op Incorporation Support

Professional support designed to help founders launch cooperatives easier and faster.

The Challenge

Cooperative founders spend 300% more time and money on business formation than non-cooperative founders*, adding friction, reducing capacity to focus on product market fit, and creating additional barriers for entrepreneurs of color who have fewer resources available to them in the first place.

*Based on 2023 interviews with founders, lawyers and co-op developers.

Our Solution: Lean Co-op Incorporation Support

Start.coop’s professional support is designed to help founders launch cooperatives in weeks, not months—and go back to focusing on their business.

Incorporation Support Packages

Choose the Right Support Plan for Your Co-op

We offer two incorporation support packages designed to fit your co-op’s needs. Whether you are ready to start paying a lawyer, or would like to start with ownership design, we’ve got you covered.

F R E E

Co-op Lawyer Directory Access

Ideal for Co-ops who have already worked with a co-op developer to plan their ownership model.

  • View our Free List of Attorneys, which can be sorted by your co-op’s location

  • Access a sample of our Tax and Legal Primer for Co-op Founders

  • Work with your Lawyer to draft co-op Bylaws, Operating Agreements, and governance structures for your cooperative model.

What To Expect from your Lawyer:

  • Initial Free Consult - Most co-op attorneys will offer a free 30-60 min consultation call

  • Fee Structure – Ask about fees, co-op attorneys typically charge from $275-$550 per hour.

  • Time commitment - Based on our research, most co-ops take 3-12 months to complete their bylaws and launch.

Pricing

FREE

L E A N C O - O P S E R V I C E

Ownership Design & Support

Still working on your ownership model, and not ready for a lawyer? Save time with your Lean Co-op service:

✔ Clarify your vision with a custom ownership design consult.

✔ Tax & Legal Primer for Co-op Founders – Quickly understand complex key legal and tax principles and share with your team.

✔ Steamlined Legal templates - Access example legal bylaws and Articles of Incorporation.

✔ Free List of Attorneys which can be sorted by your co-op’s location

✔ Directory of Co-op Service Providers – Get matched to recommended Accountants, Tech Providers, Mediators, and Mentors, based on your unique needs.

✔ Lifetime Team Access to our Lean Co-op Curriculum – immediate access to our Ownership Model Canvas, Business Planning Canvas, and in-depth modules on co-op culture, product design, and raising money.

What To Expect from your Lawyer:

✔ Time commitment - Our goal is for Lean co-op clients to launch in 2-4 months, 50-75% faster than standard incorporation.

✔Annual Legal Follow-Up – A check-in with your lawyer to review and update your documents.

Pricing

$149/month for 12 months

Or save $588 by paying $1200 one time 33% savings!

Frequently Asked Questions

    • Get Started: Accelerate your cooperative’s launch with anytime access to our Lean Co-op video curriculum.

    • Get Matched: Complete a short quiz to get matched and scheduled with an attorney who fits your cooperative type and location.

    • Get Your Docs: Lawyer will send your first draft docs and help you make revisions to match your vision (8 hours of meetings & revisions included)

    • Get Incorporated: Lawyer files your final documents, you receive your bylaws or operating agreement, and can open a bank account.

    • Get Going: Once your co-op is up and running, Lean Co-op includes 2 annual checks-ins to review your bylaws.

    • Receive new qualified leads: Founders complete our lean co-op course and an initial assessment, then matched to you along with their client details for you to schedule a first meeting, with a commitment for paid hours.

    • Ready-to-go documents: Access base documents with high readability, designed to cover 70% of cooperative use cases.

    • Revise for your clients: Based on your discretion, you can customize the client documents, or can use your own document framework as needed.

    • Register docs: Once you and your client feel formation docs are ready, you file articles and finalize bylaws on their behalf.

    • Rewarding relationship: After formation, you and your client build a longer term relationship, and we will even remind your client for annual reviews with you.

  • You have access as long as your subscription is active. You can always extend your subscription beyond the initial 12 month period.

  • Yes – in order to ensure our Incorporation Support is as affordable as possible, pricing is per-organization — allowing you to share all resources with your entire team.

  • Yes! At Start.coop, we actively work to reduce barriers for Black, Brown, and other marginalized founders in building a more inclusive, anti-racist economy.

    We offer discounts to minority-led organizations as part of our work advancing economic equity.

    Please contact our Lean Co-op Incorporation PM arda@start.coop for assistance with the discounted checkout process.

Start.coop operates as a program of Cooperatives for a Better World, a 501c3 nonprofit with a mission to provide education in the methods and purposes of cooperatives as a form of operation, to assist people in understanding the advantages of cooperatives, and the means of forming cooperatives.

Start.coop is not a legal services provider, nor a lawyer. We can provide you with generalized education, and are not providing you with any legal advice. Ultimately all final legal work, decisions and advice is between you and your lawyer.

Looking for practical tools to build your cooperative?

Try Start.coop's free Online Lean Co-op Course!

Lean Co-op is a free online course that combines the best of the values-aligned cooperative ownership with the lean start-up approach.

  • In each of the six modules, we walk you through both the theory and the practice, sharing examples and providing you with activities that we recommend you dive into as you build your business.

  • There are resources for each module, including worksheets, case studies, and links to additional information.

More from Start.coop

Check out Start.coop's Founder Resources (worksheets, toolkits, and videos, oh my!)

Looking for more tailored guidance? We have a network of experts ready to assist in designing your cooperative or cooperative related initiative. Book a consultation

Questions? Email us!

Program Manager: Arda Ungun, arda@start.coop

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All information, content and services on this website are for educational purposes only, and cannot address your unique situation. Start.coop is a 501c3 nonprofit, and our content is not intended as legal guidance. Always consult with your lawyer and accountant to discuss your unique circumstances.