FAQs
What is employee ownership?
In an employee-owned company, the workers—not outside shareholders—own all or at least a significant percentage of their workplace. Employee-owned companies are found throughout the world, in almost every industry, and are often leaders in their field.
Is my business eligible for support?
In these times, we are committed to turning no business away. Businesses who are not a fit for our programs will be offered appropriate resources. Businesses that are a fit for our program include those that:
are located within the five boroughs of New York City
employ at least 3 people
produce a favorable business assessment
What’s the business case for employee ownership?
A plan to transition to employee ownership can stabilize your business and preserve its legacy. Employee-owned businesses have higher productivity and lower turnover. Employee ownership can be:
an ownership transition strategy
a growth strategy
a stabilization strategy
What happens to the information I provide?
The information you share with us is confidential. We’ll use the data to help us determine your business’s eligibility for our programs and customize a road map to meet your vision.
The data is accessible to organizations providing NYC Legacy Business Line services and New York City business support services for the purposes of helping your business succeed. Your data will not be shared or used in any other context.
The information you share with us will also allow us to learn more about how to better support businesses in NYC more broadly.
Who is collecting my information? Who might see it?
This data will be kept confidential within the Democracy at Work Institute (DAWI). If a referral to another partner is appropriate, we will ask for your permission to share this data with them. Partners for the project include BOCNet, The Working World, NYC Small Business Services, and the ICA group.
How will my data be protected?
Data collected will be stored on DAWI’s secure server. Your personal information will not be shared with anyone outside of the project for any reason. Only aggregated and de-identified data, that can’t lead to any individual business or worker, may be released publicly for learning and advocacy purposes.