A co-operative is a member-owned business structure with at least five

members, all of whom have equal voting rights regardless of their level of
involvement or investment. All members are expected to help run the
cooperative.
A co-operative is a separate legal entity and members, directors, managers and
employees are not liable for any debts incurred unless they are the result of
recklessness, negligence or fraud.
A co-operative usually only allows a limited distribution of profits to members
(some dont allow any). This business structure encourages a democratic style of
management and promotes the concepts of sharing resources and delegation to
increase competitiveness.
A cooperative (also known as co-operative, co-op, or coop) is
"an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common
economic, social, and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly-owned
and democratically-controlled enterprise".[1] Cooperatives may include:
non-profit community organizations
businesses owned and managed by the people who use their services
(a consumer cooperative)
organisations managed by the people who work there (worker cooperatives)
organisations managed by the people to whom they provide accommodation
(housing cooperatives)
hybrids such as worker cooperatives that are also consumer cooperatives
or credit unions
multi-stakeholder cooperatives such as those that bring together civil
society and local actors to deliver community needs
second- and third-tier cooperatives whose members are other cooperatives