Encouraging employee ownership requires public awareness, education, and technical support for implementing models like ESOPs and co-ops. Citizens can advocate for employee ownership by contacting legislators, business chambers, and national organizations. They can also urge government agencies to include employee-owned businesses in funding opportunities and procurement programs.
Growing employee ownership is dependent on awareness, education, and technical assistance for both business owners and employees to effectively implement employee ownership models like ESOPs and co-ops.
Following are some of the ways for citizens to encourage their legislatures to support Employee Ownership:
- Approach your state's governor or the office of economic development/international trade to propose employee ownership initiatives.
- Reach out to state legislators and suggest introducing bills similar to what Colorado, Washington and other states have done to incentivize employee ownership transitions.
- Work through national legislative organizations like the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) or the Council of State Governments to get employee ownership on the agenda at their meetings of state legislators.
- Engage with your state's Chamber of Commerce, as they often impact state legislation, to push for employee ownership programming.
- For businesses that work with the Department of Defense (DOD), explore the DOD's existing pilot program that aims to include employee-owned companies in contracts, despite its current flaws.
- Advocate for the Small Business Administration (SBA) and Economic Development Administration (EDA) to open up funding opportunities for employee-owned cooperatives, as they currently face difficulties accessing capital from these agencies.
- Push for including employee-owned businesses in the same preferential procurement categories as minority-owned and women-owned businesses at the state and federal levels.