When you think of the word “co-operative,” you might think of a local food co-op, but there are many more types of cooperative businesses operating in the U.S. today.

As some business owners and consumers look beyond traditional, capitalist ways of doing business, co-ops may provide one alternative.

The International Co-operative Alliance and National Cooperative Business Association define a cooperative as a group of people with a specific need who work together to create a company to meet that need.