Own Your Future: Start Your Business with Employee Ownership
Why build someone else’s dream when you can build your own? Employee ownership is a business model and a movement. Whether you’re launching a worker-owned cooperative or distributing direct shares among your team, you’re creating something bigger than a job.
Two Powerful Paths to Ownership for Start-Ups:
Worker-Owned Cooperatives
Employees run the business democratically—one person, one vote. Profits go back to the people who created the value. This model is ideal for start-ups that believe in equity, teamwork, and long-term success.
Direct Shares
Employees receive actual ownership shares, gaining both a say and financial stake in the business. This model is great for entrepreneurs who want to reward their team from day one and attract mission-driven talent.
Entrepreneurs with Established Businesses
| Employee ownership offers established business owners a way to transition out of daily operations while keeping the business locally rooted and thriving. Selling your business to employees—through a worker cooperative, Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), or other shared ownership model—can provide a fair market return while preserving jobs and community impact. A partial sale approach is especially valuable for owners still developing a clear successor or those seeking a gradual exit. |
| Beyond succession, transitioning to employee ownership can unlock capital to fuel your next venture. Many entrepreneurs use the proceeds from a sale to reinvest in new startups, mentor the next generation, or pursue mission-aligned investments. This strategy not only provides liquidity, but also allows owners to leave a lasting legacy while continuing to innovate and grow within their industries or communities |
Why Choose Employee Ownership?
Stronger Businesses
Employee-owned companies are more resilient, with higher innovation and productivity.
Wealth for Workers
Instead of profits going to a select few, they stay in the hands of those who helped create them.
Better Workplaces
Shared ownership creates engagement, transparency, and a sense of purpose.
Case Studies
Check out the co-op story of Sustainergy, a worker-owned green energy business based in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Check out the co-op story of Cenzontle, a worker-owned language justice cooperative providing interpretation, translation, and consulting services based in Asheville, NC.
North Carolina Resources for Entrepreneurship
| Small Business & Technology Development Center (SBTDC) |
| NC Idea |
| Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina |
| NC Secretary of State |
| Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce Resource Guide |
| NC Small Business Network |
| El Centro Hispano |
| Carolina Common Enterprise Zero to Co-op Program |
| Women’s Business Center of North Carolina |
| Wake Tech Entrepreneurship and Small Business Center |
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