Resources: Professional Referrals

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A forming cooperative will need to be supported by several types of professional assistance before the business goes into operation. The Laulima Center offers general cooperative development and draws on partner organizations and consultants for specific areas of project feasibility, business planning, legal advice, and accounting systems. Here are a some of the helpful organizations who assist cooperatives with specific expertise during start-up or expansion:

Agribusiness Incubator Program
Provides agricultural business development including business plans and feasibility.

Agriculture Extension
Production, processing, and marketing expertise available from extension agents. Technical feasibility can be researched by professors.

Small Business Development Council
No cost assistance is available to look at the financial feasibility of your cooperative's business and develop a business plan.

Rural Conservation Districts
Assistance with natural resource conservation and economic development projects.
Big Island Rural Conservation & Development
Tri-Isle Rural Conservation & Development
O‘ahu Resource Conservation Development Council
Garden Isle Resource Conservation & Development

Economic Development Boards
Hawai‘i Island Economic Development Board
Maui Economic Development Board
Kaua‘i Economic Development Board


How to Work with Consultants for Co-ops
A fact sheet on working with consultants produced by the Ontario Co-operative Association