As the popularity of employee ownership among businesses in Scotland continues to grow, so does the requirement for specialist advice from professionals working in law, accounting and banking. To help raise awareness of the EO model among advisers in these sectors, we’ve been delivering a roadshow in partnership with the Law Society of Scotland and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland.
Our final events take place in Edinburgh and Glasgow on Thursday 6 June, with Campbell Clark, a partner at law firm Blackadders LLP, and Simon Poole of employee-owned Jerba Campervans on hand to share their knowledge and insight. We had a chat with them to learn more the aims of the roadshow.
The Jerba Campervans team
Campbell says: “I’m delighted to be taking part in this event to help professional advisers in Edinburgh develop their awareness of employee ownership. Interest in employee ownership and its advantages as a business model has never been greater, so it’s essential for solicitors, accountants and financial consultants to ensure they’re fully equipped to inform and advise their clients appropriately and support them as they negotiate the transition process. An increase in availability of specialist guidance is something that the local business community will access and benefit from in the long-term.”
Simon, co-founder North Berwick-based Jerba Campervans which specialises in converting Volkswagen Transporter vans into luxury campervans, took the decision to sell the company to employees in January 2018. Since the ownership transfer, Simon and his wife Cath have continued to work in their usual roles at Jerba Campervans and are now sixteen months into their planned five-year exit strategy.
Simon says: “Our experience of transferring the ownership of our company has definitely convinced us of the advantages and it’s testament to the fact that employee ownership is an excellent business model which benefits everyone. Cath and I can continue with our day-to-day roles in the business for as long as we need to, with the knowledge that the future is taken care of, while our employees share in the profits of the business and have a much greater interest in its growth and success. We believe that this not only drives job satisfaction, productivity and innovation, it’s ensuring that the business’s unique ethos is preserved.
“We’d certainly urge any business considering succession strategies to explore employee ownership as a potential solution, and to seek out professional guidance on how to make the transfer process work to benefit both the business and its employees.”
The Selling a business to an Employee Ownership Trust roadshow is now over. To keep up with future events programmes, follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn, or contact us here using the ‘expert support’ option for more information.