Our Approach

Employee ownership can work extremely well. But it does not work in every situation, and it does not work simply because the structure exists. Outcomes depend on how the transaction is designed and how the business performs after the sale.

Our approach is built around understanding those realities before any commitments are made.

Employee ownership trusts are funded from the future success of the business. Unlike a traditional sale where value is largely crystallised on completion, an EOT sale links what sellers ultimately receive to how the business performs over time.

That makes affordability, resilience and incentive alignment central to the decision. If the business cannot comfortably support the transaction, the structure will come under pressure — regardless of the tax treatment or intent behind it.

Starting with future performance allows owners to assess whether employee ownership is viable in practice, not just attractive in principle.

In an employee ownership sale, sellers, management and employees are all connected to the same outcome. The way value, risk and reward are allocated between them shapes behaviour long after the sale completes.

Well-designed structures can:

• reward sellers fairly,
• keep management motivated and focused on growth,
• and allow employees to benefit as the business succeeds.

Poorly designed structures can do the opposite. This is why careful thought is needed around funding, timing, incentives and governance — not to over-engineer the transaction, but to ensure it works as intended.

We use financial modelling to support judgement, not to replace it.

Modelling helps owners understand:

• what the business can realistically afford,
• how different structures affect cashflow and risk,
• and how value is likely to be shared over time.

This allows decisions to be made with clarity, rather than optimism or assumption. It also provides a common reference point for discussions with management, funders and advisers.

The aim is not to predict the future, but to make informed choices about it.

Every business is different, but most engagements follow a similar pattern.

We begin with an initial discussion to understand the business, the owner's objectives and whether employee ownership is worth exploring further. If it is, we then focus on financial feasibility — looking at profitability, funding capacity and potential deal structures.

Only once the numbers support the concept do we move on to structure, tax and implementation, working with other advisers as needed. Throughout the process, the emphasis is on clarity, realism and proportionate advice.

Some owners decide to proceed. Others decide not to. Both are valid outcomes.