The Boston Globe:
In a failed toy store in Hingham Square, four women are taking on the recession in style.
Their brainchild, which opened in December, is a cooperative shop that the four “mompreneurs” hope will weather the recession and serve as an incubator for other mothers with business ideas.
“We wanted to do something creative and mom-friendly,” after leaving full-time careers to raise their children, said cofounder Bonnie Hertberg.
The Coop in Hingham Square is riding national surges in two categories: cooperatives and women-owned businesses.
“If you look historically, many cooperatives have gotten started when there’s economic upheaval,” said Paul Hazen, president and chief executive officer of the National Cooperative Business Association, which is based in Washington, D.C. “It’s human nature for people to say, ‘Gee, my personal situation is bad, but if we work together we can try to make it better.’ It’s hard to keep track of it because they’re starting organically and there’s no central place to register cooperatives. But based on historical fact and anecdotal information,” the number is growing, Hazen said.
Photo by Darwin Bell