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Home » Employee Ownership

Employee Ownership LA County

Whether you own a Los Angeles County business, advise local business owners or want a thriving economy, find out how employee ownership can work for you.  

The Department of Economic Opportunity, in partnership with Project Equity, is helping business owners explore their option to sell their company to their employees while preserving jobs and sustaining wealth opportunities. Employee Ownership (EO) is a proven strategy where business owners, looking to secure the sale of their business, can be assisted with no cost and free consultation services that can help you:

  • By helping you identify the fair market value and worth of your business seeking to be sold.
  • Be supported in preserving your businesses legacy by keeping your company locally rooted and sustain quality jobs.
  • Be assisted in engaging and retaining employees who are interested in buying and preserving your business.

Employee Ownership is part of LA County’s Economic Mobility Initiative (EMI) which is a $25 million investment of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to support the startup and growth of local entrepreneurs, businesses, and nonprofits start, grow and stay in the County. EMI will be facilitated in partnership with 15 local community organizations and will focus on serving women-led and Black Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC)-owned small businesses and connecting them to wealth-building opportunities. Click here to learn more about EMI. 

EO Journey Map

Timeline titled 'Employee Ownership Journey Map' showing 4 steps. Full text version is provided below.

Discover the Power of Employee Ownership Services

“Whether you own a Los Angeles County business, advise local business owners or want a thriving economy, find out how employee ownership can work for you.”

Are you a Los Angeles County business owner looking for tools to retain employees or build a succession plan? Are you beginning to consider retiring or transitioning your business to another owner?

The perfect buyer for your company may be the ones you work with every day, and the perfect employee engagement strategy might be to give them a stake in your business’ future.

Employee Benefits
33% Higher Median Income
92% Higher Household Network
53% Longer Job Tenure
Business Benefits
67%
 Report Higher Productivity
46% Longer Employee Retention
8.5% Higher Profit Margins

Free Consultation

The process begins with a free consultation, in which you can learn about employee ownership models and explore the fit with your goals and needs.

Consultations are conversations with you to understand your unique circumstances and goals, determine your projected timing, and explore how employee ownership could fit into your plans. Schedule a free consultation with Project Equity here.

Employee Ownership Events

You can also learn more by registering for one of our upcoming educational virtual webinars.

  • Register here for our How to Retain Employees Through Employee Ownership session  on May 21st at 12 PM
  • Register here for our How to Sell Your Restaurant to your Employees session on June 18th at 12 PM
  • Register here for our How to Sell Your Manufacturing Business to Your Employees on July 16th at 12 PM

You may also learn more about our program at DEO’s upcoming LA Region Small Business Summits.

Thursday, May 9, 2024
Expo Opens: 8:30 am
Event: 9:00 am to 3:00 pm
Mission College
13356 Eldridge Ave,
Sylmar, CA 91342
Featuring LA County Board of Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath
Wednesday, May 15, 2024
Expo Opens: 8:30 am
Event: 9:00 am to 3:00 pm
Cal State Los Angeles
5151 State University Dr,
Los Angeles, CA 90032
Featuring a fireside chat with Mayor Karen Bass

Register today by clicking here, today! 

Free Office Hours

Visit our Office of Small Business team every first Wednesday of the month at the East LA Entrepreneur Center located at 4716 East Cesar E. Chavez Avenue Building B for monthly office hours.

Na Young Ma, founder and selling owner of Proof Bakery in Los Angeles, smiling with her hand resting on her chin.

“For the last ten years, both collaboration and cooperation have been a driving force behind daily operations at Proof. When employees help to build a business and keep it going, I think it’s important that they have a chance to reap the benefits.”

 

Na Young Ma
Founder and Selling Owner
Proof Bakery, Los Angeles

 

Promotional graphic with the text “Sell Your Business and Attract & Retain Employees,” featuring photos of three professionals, including a man in a red Delta Pipeline hard hat, a woman with glasses, and a woman with a red bandana, alongside the logos for Employee Ownership LA County and the Department of Economic Opportunity.
Informational flyer from the Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) encouraging L.A. County business owners to explore free Employee Ownership (EO) consultations and services. The flyer explains that employee ownership is a proven strategy to help business owners secure the sale of their business or transfer ownership to employees. Benefits include identifying market value to sell your business, preserving your business legacy, and assisting in retaining and engaging employees interested in buying your business. A highlighted section on the right asks: "Are you ready to explore employee ownership?" It states EO is best suited for businesses with 10 or more employees, good financial health and profitability, a 5+ year track record, and minimal debt. Below, a gold banner invites readers to “Book a free consultation or join an upcoming event” with a URL: opportunity.lacounty.gov/employee-ownership The flyer notes that DEO holds office hours every first Wednesday of the month at: East LA Entrepreneur Center, 4716 East Cesar E. Chavez Avenue, Building B At the bottom, logos for the County of Los Angeles, Made Possible by American Rescue Plan, and Project Equity are shown. Small text notes: Pictured on cover: Employee-owners of L.A. County businesses Proof Bakery and Delta Pipeline.
Access PDF of Postcard Here

EO Launch Event – Giroux Glass

The EO launch event on was held on November 29 at Giroux Glass, a glass, glazing, and architectural metals contracting company located in the Second Supervisorial District that provides services in the commercial, retail, and luxury sectors. Giroux Glass is a 100% employee-owned, also known as Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP).

Read Press Release Here

Employee Ownership LA County Powered by an Economic Mobility Initiative Partner

Project Equity logo with curly brackets surrounding the name. The word "Project" is in gray, and the word "Equity" is in bold red, emphasizing the focus on equity.
Table sign reading “I love Mom and Pop Shops – Shop Local LA County” is displayed in front of a colorful vendor booth promoting local businesses, with people interacting in the background.

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Department of Economic Opportunity

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Los Angeles, CA 90020

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844-777-2059


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deo@opportunity.lacounty.gov

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Workforce Innovation & Opportunity ACT (WIOA) Grievance and Complaints:

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