Georgia Cooperative Development Center

Shared Services: A Smarter Way to Grow Together

From Athens to communities statewide, shared services is transforming how small businesses access support.

Shared Ownership, Defined

What Are Shared Services Cooperatives?

Shared services cooperatives allow small businesses, entrepreneurs, nonprofits, and community enterprises to pool resources and share the cost of essential services.
Instead of each business paying full price for bookkeeping, marketing, HR, digital tools, or administrative support, members share access to a centralized team or provider—dramatically lowering costs and increasing capacity.

Shared services co-ops help members:

reduce operating expenses

access professional-quality services

save time on administrative tasks

improve financial stability

strengthen business operations

access digital tools they couldn’t otherwise afford

collaborate instead of compete

"This model is especially powerful for underserved communities, small businesses, BIPOC entrepreneurs, wellness practitioners, creative industries, and businesses affected by rising overhead and shrinking margins."

Why Shared Services Work for Georgia

Why Shared Services Matter in Georgia

Georgia’s business landscape is dominated by small enterprises, micro-businesses, creatives, wellness practitioners, cooperators, and community-rooted entrepreneurs. Many face rising costs, limited access to services, and operational challenges that make it hard to grow.
Shared services cooperatives offer a smart, equitable, scalable solution by helping businesses:

  • Increase operational stability
  • Expand capacity without hiring full-time staff
  • Access digital transformation
  • Compete with larger companies
  • Improve sustainability
  • Collaborate regionally
  • Build a support network
  • Share risk and share opportunity

This model directly supports economic equity and community wealth-building—principles central to GCDC’s mission.

What Shared Services Co-ops Can Provide

A shared services cooperative can be designed to meet the unique needs of a business community.
Examples include:

Administrative Services

  • Bookkeeping
  • Payroll
  • HR support
  • Licensing/compliance help

02

Marketing & Communications

  • Branding
  • Social media
  • Website support
  • Graphic design
  • Email marketing

03

Operations & Purchasing

  • Bulk purchasing
  • Vendor negotiations
  • Supplies coordination
  • Equipment sharing

Technology & Digital Tools

  • Software access
  • Digital literacy training
  • Digital marketing
  • App-based tools
  • Shared IT support

Business Development

  • Business planning
  • Sales support
  • Customer service training
  • Grant writing support

Shared services co-ops can even be sector-specific (e.g., wellness, food vendors, retail shops, creative services) or community-specific (neighborhood-based, rural-based, or affinity-based).

The Athens Shared Services Pilot

GCDC is leading a groundbreaking shared services cooperative initiative in Athens to support local entrepreneurs, creatives, wellness practitioners, and small businesses.
This initiative:

  • Provides business owners with shared access to essential operational services
  • Strengthens capacity for BIPOC- and women-led enterprises
  • Lowers costs for businesses facing rising overhead
  • Supports digital transformation and marketing
  • Builds a collaborative network of local entrepreneurs
  • Provides a replicable model for other Georgia communities.

Athens serves as a pilot site, with plans to expand shared services cooperatives across the state through partnerships with local governments, chambers, business associations, and anchor institutions.

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Benefits of Shared Services Co-ops

Why Shared Services Cooperatives Work

Shared services co-ops create long-term value for their members and the surrounding community by:

Reducing Costs

Pooling resources lowers the price of essential services.

Increasing Efficiency

Members can focus on growth instead of administrative tasks.

Expanding Access

Small businesses gain services typically reserved for larger companies.

Strengthening Community Networks

Members build relationships and collaborate across sectors.

Supporting Underserved Entrepreneurs

Shared services reduce barriers for small, minority-, and women-led businesses.

Promoting Digital Transformation

Co-ops help members adopt modern digital tools and skills.

Improving Business Sustainability

Shared structure leads to stability during economic fluctuations.

Who Can Benefit from This Model?

Shared services co-ops are ideal for:

  • Small business owners
  • Micro-enterprises
  • Creatives & artists
  • Wellness practitioners
  • Food vendors & caterers
  • Retail shops
  • Nonprofits
  • Service providers
  • Neighborhood business districts
  • Rural entrepreneurs
  • Worker-owned cooperatives
  • Youth-led or multigenerational enterprises.

If a group of businesses share common challenges or common needs, they are strong candidates for shared services.

How We Help Communities Build Shared Services Networks

GCDC offers comprehensive support for designing, launching, and sustaining shared services cooperatives:

Feasibility & Visioning

Understanding community needs and co-designing the service model.

Business Planning & Financial Modeling

Building a strong, sustainable operational plan.

Governance Design & Training

Creating a democratic structure that fits the cooperative’s needs.

Digital Literacy & Transformation

Creating a democratic structure that fits the cooperative’s needs.

Coaching & Technical Assistance

Supporting the co-op through formation, launch, and growth.

Policy & Advocacy Support

Helping communities navigate supportive city, state, and federal programs.

Statewide Replication Support

Expanding the model beyond Athens through partner networks and regional collaborations.

Who Can Benefit from This Model?

Shared services cooperatives are part of the broader shared ownership ecosystem.
They combine:

  • Cooperative values
  • Democratic governance
  • Shared economic benefit
  • Pooled resources
  • Community-led innovation.

Shared services fit naturally alongside worker co-ops, producer co-ops, employee ownership transitions, and platform co-ops—ensuring Georgia communities have multiple pathways to build shared prosperity.

Interested in Building a Shared Services Cooperative?

Explore Shared Ownership Models
Join the CarenShare Community
Learn About the Athens Pilot
Request Technical Assistance

Reach Us Directly

  • Email Address
    careandshare@georgiacoopdc.org
    Central inbox for shared ownership, cooperative development, and training inquiries.
  • Mailing Address
  • Social & Community Channels
  • CarenShare Community:
    CarenShare.app
  • Podcast:
    Co-op Nation: Shared Futures
  • Website:
    Georgia.coop
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