Canadian Information Guide on Co-operatives, https://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/106.nsf/eng/h_00073.html .
The guide was developed in partnership with the provinces and territories and was designed to provide Canadians with essential information on the co-operative business model.
This guide is intended to:
- introduce you to different aspects of the co-operative business model in Canada;
- present you with the key characteristics of federal, provincial and territorial co-operative legislation and regulations;
- provide you with information sources for the creation and development of co-operatives throughout Canada; and,
- provide advice to you on the process of creating a new co-operative with a description of various development stages, including a uniform format for the business plan of a new co-operative.
This guide is targeted at:
- anybody interested in learning more about co-operatives; and,
- entrepreneurs that have decided to use the co-operative business model but are not fully aware of its legal structures, specific features and the necessary steps to get started.
For information on funding from government and other sources, please consult this document.