Leading Practices

  • Colorado established a statewide Office of Employee Ownership to increase the number of employee-owned companies in the state by administering a statewide tax credit (HB-21-1311) for employee-owned companies. It provides grants for feasibility studies and technical assistance to help owners sell to their employees and educates businesses about employee ownership through storytelling and building a network of employee-owned companies.

  • A loan fund policy to support converting businesses to employee-owned structures, emphasizing worker cooperatives in community development.

  • A municipal initiative for education and technical assistance around employee ownership and conversion. Business owners can access $10,000 of technical assistance services, utilize the Owners2Owners hotline and have targeted financing and grant opportunities for worker cooperatives.

  • A practice of using federal funds to subsidize costs for retiring business owners to sell to employees, focusing on equity by targeting industries with a majority Black and Latinx workforce.

  • Firebrand Bakery in Oakland operates as an employee-owned trust with commitments to hire marginalized groups, profit sharing, equitable supply chains, and long-term success over short-term profits.

  • Tucson, Arizona used American Rescue Plan funds for a study on small business retention risks and offered technical assistance to assess feasibility and implement employee ownership transitions.

  • North Coast Small Business Development Center in California used funding to educate local business owners on employee ownership as a succession strategy, supporting long-term business stability.

Have an example to add?

You can contact us with content submissions or questions