I'm not sure why it's a crippling problem. (Most SMEs outside the tech industry do not sell equity to raise funds, and the general point of a co-op tends to be

I'm not sure why it's a crippling problem. (Most SMEs outside the tech industry do not sell equity to raise funds, and the general point of a co-op tends to be to provide a living for its workers, not to take over the world.) The crippling problem is that nobody will lend to you even where traditional businesses could borrow.