The route Shirley took from founder owned firm to a staff owned one.
Stephanie Shirley's framework, from Let It Go, pp. 134 to 146.
Share profits
Start with a twice yearly profit share, which stalled when profits vanished in the recession.
Study what works
Visit employee owned firms and ask owners who gave theirs away whether they would do it again.
Create a trust
Establish a shareholders' trust to hold shares on behalf of staff, seeded with 4 per cent of her shares.
Feed the trust
Transfer shares annually and have the company make grants for it to buy more.
From chapter: 13. Common Ground, pp. 134–146
Shirley returns to work and decides to leave day to day running with Suzette Harold, who is better at the chores she dislikes, keeping strategy, sales vision and public speaking for herself. Turnover grows to £738,671, then passes £1m. She takes up the idea of shared ownership, studies employee owned firms, wrestles with tax and creates the F International Shareholders' Trust in 1981. She also sets aside 1 per cent of pre-tax profit for charity.
