Employee Ownership Blog

Corey Rosen

California Employee Ownership Program Not Funded

In 2022, the California Employee Ownership Act became law by a unanimous vote. The bill established the California Employee Ownership Hub within the California Office of Small Business. The Hub was directed to “increase awareness and understanding of employee ownership among stakeholders, assist business owners and employees in navigating available resources, and streamline and reduce barriers to employee ownership.” California has a variety of loan support programs for which companies seeking to convert to employee ownership could potentially qualify.

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Lindsay Isaac

Using Digital Communication Tools to Build ESOP Awareness

Education and communication are not just about scheduled training sessions; rather, they can be used to enhance ownership culture when integrated into existing systems and tools. The idea of simple, low-effort communication tools was the theme of the latest Innovative Communication Coalition (ICC) meeting, where companies shared ideas on how to keep employee ownership in the forefront of their employee-owners’ minds. Below are a few ideas from members on how they are using tools to increase ESOP awareness at their companies:  

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Corey Rosen

Connecticut Bill Would Give Tax Incentive to Large Companies to Share Ownership

SB 1239, An Act Concerning Certain Employee Stock Ownership Plans, would allow Connecticut companies to avoid a state corporate tax surcharge if they provide at least 80% of their employees with at least 300 shares apiece for each year the surcharge applies. The state surcharge equals 10% of taxes paid and applies to companies with $100 million or more in income or companies that are part of a combined group of companies that file a unitary income tax return, regardless of income.

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Lindsay Isaac

Announcing “The Download,” a Monthly ESOP Communication Resource

ESOP companies are often on the lookout for good communication and education resources to support their efforts around employee onboarding and training, specifically ESOP literacy, ownership culture, and countless other issues. This is why we are thrilled to launch a new member benefit this week—The Download, an email newsletter featuring a new solutions-focused resource every month. The resources are designed with the end user in mind—your employee-owners—to be shared as-is or with minimal adaptation to incorporate the specifics of your plan.

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Jaymie Oviedo

Touchdown for Employee Ownership

One month ago, 1,650 employee-owners and 50 considering employee ownership for their business all descended on Kansas City, Missouri, for the 41st NCEO Annual Conference. We welcomed 880+ first-time attendees to the event. We also saw 130 members join us online.

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Corey Rosen

Employee Equity Investment Act Introduced in Both Houses with Bipartisan Support

Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Marco Rubio (R-FL), along with Representatives Dean Phillips (D-MN) and Blake Moore (R-UT), have introduced the Employee Equity Investment Act (EEIA). The bill would create an investment facility within the Small Business Administration's (SBA's) Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) program to provide loan guarantees for investment funds devoted to expanding employee ownership.

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