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Credit unions and other cooperatives share similar ownership structures and principles of service to their members. Thus, cooperatives’ leaders and media often look for mutually beneficial business collaboration across both sectors. For instance, in 2012, CUNA’s Cooperative Alliances Committee released a “Guide on how credit unions can improve their interactions with cooperatives from other sectors” that included detailed lists of possible avenues for collaboration and provided specific examples of credit union-cooperative collaboration.

Think.COOP is designed for people like you who are interested in joining or starting a cooperative. During this orientation, you will analyse how supportive relationships and cooperation can help you pursue opportunities to improve your livelihood, learn about the fundamentals of a cooperative business, and understand the conditions under which the cooperative is a better way to doing business or your work. At the end of this orientation, you will be better able to decide whether the cooperative business model is right for you

In collaboration with cooperative organizations and training institutes in all regions of the world, MATCOM designs and produces material for the training of managers of cooperatives and assists in the preparation of adapted versions for use in various countries. MATCOM also provides support for improving the methodology of cooperative training and for the training of trainers

The training provided under this package is based on a thorough analysis of the tasks and functions involved in audit and control in the context of co-operative organisation and management, as well as the systems and procedures involved in co-operative book-keeping and accounting

Service co-operatives exist to provide marketing, supply, equipment hire, credit and other such services to their members, generally independent farmers. (MATCOM's training packages for agricultural co-operatives are actually designed for this type of service co-operative.) Obviously, independent craftsmen, such as carpenters or tailors, can also form service co-operatives.

The manual provides guidelines as to how to plan and carry out training activities. It discusses methods for assessing training needs and systems for organising training in the field, with particular emphasis on the use of "MATCOM Learning Elements" - special self-study booklets for staff and committee members of agricultural co-operatives

Of course, price-marking takes time , and money must be spent on price labels, tags and maybe special price-marking tools. Still, it is necessary to do it, and it is worthwhile. Let us talk about all the reasons for price-marking, and what it means to customers and staff.

In collaboration with cooperative organizations and training institutes in all regions of the world, MATCOM designs and produces material for the training of managers of cooperatives and assists in the preparation of adapted versions for use in various countries. MATCOM also provides support for improving the methodology of cooperative training and for the training of trainers.

In this Learning Element you will study the work of some co-operative shops. From their success or failure you will learn: How money is raised and used in a co-operative. Why a surplus is necessary and how it is created and used. How to increase the surplus.