Prior to the introduction of employee ownership, the VEOC can:
- Conduct a Business Assessment to provide first-cut analyses to determine whether employee ownership is advisable for particular businesses, and whether further investigation is warranted.
- Provide referrals to technical and legal resources and to trade organizations specializing in employee ownership (if preliminary analysis shows promise).
- Identify funding for feasibility studies, business plans and other soft costs.
- Coordinate transactions, particularly in cases where groups of employees are making an offer for a business.
After the introduction of employee ownership, the VEOC can:
- Facilitate peer-to-peer learning among employee-owned companies in the state.
- Offer expertise for creating and implementing ownership education programs.
- Troubleshoot problems, give advice and assistance, and refer businesses to other Vermont companies and/or consultants who have encountered similar situations.
See how the VEOC helped launch worker-owned cooperative winery Kalchē Wine Co.
