The cooperative community especially appreciates Administrator Guzman’s previous comments about the importance of succession planning and the role for legacy business initiatives to transition ownership to workers.
U.S. Co-ops is eager to work with the Administrator on business conversions to cooperatives as well as greater support for start-up cooperatives through financing and technical assistance to preserve and grow these small businesses across the country.
“We look forward to working with Administrator Guzman as we continue to support co-ops through the crisis and are eager to work with SBA to ensure co-ops can access financing tools to build a more resilient and sustainable small business economy,” said Doug O’Brien, president and CEO of U.S. Co-ops.
“Co-ops are an especially important tool to create economic opportunity among socially and economically disadvantaged groups. The pandemic has shone a bright light on the pervasive inequities across our country, and it is imperative that SBA establish a level playing field.”
The pandemic has shone a bright light on the pervasive inequities across our country, and it is imperative that SBA establish a level playing field.