While co-operatives are traditionally associated with workers, consumers, and farmers, the business model, with its emphasis on democracy and community, has also been adopted by small business owners, the self-employed, and professionals. These business co-operatives are distinct phenomenon, because they primarily consist of independent organizational entities that are not co-operatives and are generally in direct competition with one another. They are unique in that they bring together separate organizations that seek to combat market threats while adopting a philosophy based on co-operative principles. This article begins with an overview of the Australian co-operative landscape. It then defines the concept of business co-operatives and then draws upon the Visual Atlas of Australian Co-operatives History Project, which has developed a large database of Australian co-operatives over time and space, to examine the development of business co-operatives in Australia. It looks at where business co-operatives formed in the economy, the motivation underlying their formation, their average life spans, and their relationships with the broader co-operative movement. The article highlights the value of business co-operatives in introducing the values of participatory democracy and working for the common good into unanticipated markets and reinforcing the co-operative movement.

虽然合作社传统上与工人、消费者和农民联系在一起，但强调民主和社区的商业模式也被小企业主、个体经营者和专业人士采用。这些商业合作社是一种独特的现象，因为它们主要由独立的组织实体组成，这些实体不是合作社，并且通常相互直接竞争。它们的独特之处在于它们将独立的组织聚集在一起，这些组织在采用基于合作原则的理念的同时寻求对抗市场威胁。本文首先概述了澳大利亚的合作社格局。然后它定义了商业合作社的概念，然后借鉴了澳大利亚合作社历史项目的视觉地图集，它开发了澳大利亚合作社在时间和空间上的大型数据库，以研究澳大利亚商业合作社的发展。它着眼于商业合作社在经济中的形成位置、它们形成的动机、它们的平均寿命以及它们与更广泛的合作社运动的关系。文章强调了商业合作社在将参与式民主的价值观和为共同利益而努力进入意想不到的市场以及加强合作社运动方面的价值。以及他们与更广泛的合作社运动的关系。文章强调了商业合作社在将参与式民主的价值观和为共同利益而努力进入意想不到的市场以及加强合作社运动方面的价值。以及他们与更广泛的合作社运动的关系。文章强调了商业合作社在将参与式民主的价值观和为共同利益而努力进入意想不到的市场以及加强合作社运动方面的价值。