Exit Planning: Consider a Co-op

Too many business owners don’t have a realistic plan for how to exit their business, earn a decent retirement income, and preserve the legacy they’ve built and the jobs they’ve created. They don’t understand their options and don’t have time to figure it out on their own. Because of this, they wait until they are ready to retire before they think about how to exit their business, and liquidation and closure becomes the default option. Unfortunately, this option shortchanges the owner and results in lost jobs and economic assets for our communities. Don’t let this happen to you! No matter how big or small your business, this workshop will help you understand what you need to know and plan for, and help you understand and assess your options and decide which one makes most sense for you. Exit planning process and options will be covered, but a deeper dive into one of the least understood options – selling to your employees – will be a focus.

Presenters

Rob Brown is the director of Business Ownership Solutions at the Cooperative Development Institute (CDI), the USDA-designated Cooperative Business Development Center for the Northeast. He is a nationally recognized expert in the field of employee ownership transitions and has developed extensive programs of education and training on the topic.

https://cdi.coop/

Joe Marraffino is a Loan and Outreach Officer in Ithaca, New York. Joe joined the Cooperative Fund in 2021 to support cooperative lending in New York State. He previously coordinated the Workers to Owners program for the Democracy at Work Institute.

https://cooperativefund.org/