In partnership with the Employee Ownership Expansion Network (EOX)

Learn more about employee ownership

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This page is for anyone who wants to learn more about employee ownership, especially if you want to explore whether employee ownership might be the right fit for your company or your clients.

You likely found this page as a link from our colleagues at the Employee Ownership Expansion Network (EOX). EOX can connect you with your state's employee ownership center to help get you in touch with nearby business owners and others with expertise in employee ownership. This page will give you the top resources we at the NCEO offer to answer your questions about employee ownership.

Resources to get started

For a general overview, see our article How an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) Works.

For a step-by-step guide to assessing an ESOP for your company, check out our ESOP Pre-Feasibility Toolkit.


Recommended books:

Book cover for Selling to an ESOP and Financing the Deal

Selling to an ESOP and Financing the Deal

A detailed guide for owners, managers, and advisors of closely held businesses who are considering a sale to an ESOP.

Book cover for An Introduction to ESOPs

An Introduction to ESOPs

This concise book explains the rules, uses, benefits, and other aspects of employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs).

Join our EOT Peer Gatherings: Online meetings for companies that have or are considering an EOT. Participants share experiences, discuss challenges, and gain insights from different parts of the employee ownership community.

For an overview of how EOTs work, see our Introduction to EOTs.

Recommended book:

Book cover for Selling to an ESOP and Financing the Deal

Using an Employee Ownership Trust for Business Transition

Learn how EOTs work, whether one is right for your company, and how they are created, financed, and governed.

See our overview of the types of equity compensation or a webinar on direct employee ownership.

Recommended books:

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The Decision-Maker's Guide to Equity Compensation

How to find and implement an equity compensation strategy that works for your company.

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Equity Compensation for Limited Liability Companies (LLCs)

A guide to creating equity compensation arrangements for LLCs.

Visit our colleagues at the Democracy at Work Institute, who specialize in worker cooperatives.

The best way to become employee owned might be to be acquired by a company that already is employee owned, and you can learn more and find potential acquirers in our Being Acquired by an ESOP toolkit.
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Business owners: Get the inside story from your peers

Who Should Own Your Business After You? is a brief introductory booklet designed for business owners who want to start exploring if employee ownership might be the right fit for them and their companies. Real business owners explain why and how business owners sold their business to their employees. It provides an overview of the five main forms of employee ownership in the United States: employee stock ownership plans or ESOPs, worker cooperatives, employee ownership trusts (EOTs), direct share ownership, and being acquired by a company that is already employee-owned. Readers will leave knowing what paths to explore and tools to learn more.

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Webinar: Turbulent Times: Managing ESOP Owned Companies Through the Downturns - Key Considerations and Practical Advice

This session will review the estate planning opportunities that are available to business owners who are undergoing an ESOP transaction. These opportunities stem from 1) the capital gains tax deferral offered by Internal Revenue Code section 1042; 2) the unique effect of an ESOP on the value of retained stock ownership; and 3) the structure of the proceeds received after the sale of a company to an ESOP. Some of the opportunities that arise from these circumstances include:

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Next steps

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You can unsubscribe at any time, and you can sign up for the mailing list for the Illinois Employee Ownership Center at the same time! Sign up below.


Stay in touch with the Illinois Employee Ownership Center

There’s no better way to learn about employee ownership than seeing it up close, and your in-state employee ownership exists to do exactly that.

Talk to us

We'd be glad to speak with you about your interest in employee ownership and recommend next steps, from in-person events to webinars, from our directory of professional service providers to talking with your peers in our networking groups.

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