STEP ONE:

Project Equity’s consultation

What to expect

Are you a business owner looking for a change? Have you owned your business for more than 10 years? Are you looking for proven strategies to increase employee engagement and business success? Are you beginning to consider retiring, selling or just looking to get some liquidity from your long-standing business?

Learn how employee ownership could help you meet your goals

Employee ownership unlocks countless opportunities that can take your business to the next level—encouraging your team’s best work, earning a reward for your life’s work when you retire and setting your business up to thrive for generations to come.

If you are looking to sell, or looking for partial liquidity, the perfect buyer for your company may be the people you work with every day—your employees.

Where do you start?

At Project Equity, we help business owners through the process of transitioning their companies to employee ownership. The process begins with a free consultation, in which you can learn about employee ownership models and explore the fit with your goals and needs.

The consultations are conversations with you to understand your unique circumstances, determine your projected timing and to explore how employee ownership could fit into your plans. “We begin with getting to know the business, understanding where the business is today, and the long-term goals the owner has for him or herself and for the company,” explains Donna Sky, a Business Engagement and Partnership Manager at Project Equity.

What if you’re interested, though not quite ready to retire?

“In addition to employee ownership being a great option for owners who want to exit, it’s also a uniquely strong fit for those who aren’t quite ready and want to phase out,” described Miyaka Cochrane, a Business Engagement and Partnership Manager at Project Equity. “An employee buyout includes many options for staying involved, whether in the same capacity or in a new role to share the burden of ownership responsibilities with other leaders within the company.” 

What is the next step following a consultation?

Through conversation and sharing of information and data about the business, Project Equity helps you explore the fit and gathers enough information to recommend whether your business is in a position to explore the feasibility of employee ownership more formally through a feasibility study.

“During the feasibility study, we analyze the finances to produce a range of potential sale prices, look at some considerations about the employee ownership form and set up and outline the needs for management transition, according to Sky. “This culminates in a straw model of the business as an employee-owned entity and a timeline and roadmap so the owner and any key stakeholders can make an informed decision to move forward with a transition.”

By sharing ownership of your business with your employees, you can reward the team that’s helped you build your success and create a culture that encourages their best work. Whatever your business goals, employee ownership can help you unlock opportunities that can take your business to the next level, and help it thrive for generations to come.

If you’re interested, here’s how to schedule a consultation

Visit our free consultation sign-up page where there is a calendar for you to schedule an appointment at your convenience.