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Rethinking Ownership: Sharing Success through Quiip’s Employee Share Ownership Plan 

by Maddie Duke August 06, 2025

In late 2023, Quiip launched an Employee Share Ownership Plan, taking a big step towards making our business owned by the team who shape it every day. Now, a couple of years in, we’re proud to share how it’s going and why it still matters.

Two years on from the introduction of our Employee Share Ownership Plan (ESOP) and with end-of-financial-year distributions underway, at Quiip we’ve been reflecting on what employee ownership means and why we believe more Australian businesses should consider it.

While in most traditional business ownership models, profit stays concentrated at the top, Quiip was keen to take a different approach and explore a way for success, and agency, to be shared with the people who help to create it.

As a certified B Corp, Quiip has always believed a more equitable and sustainable way of doing business is possible. By distributing ownership among eligible employees rather than maintaining a top-down model, we’re better aligning business success with our values.

Employees are integral to Quiip’s success, and I believe in the redistribution of profits. I’m proud to be doing something that not many companies undertake and energised that we’re leading the way as a B Corp. – Alison Michalk

How does it work?

While businesses vary in how they design, implement and maintain Employee Share Ownership Plans, we’ve applied the following framework at Quiip:

  • Each year, the business is valued against an independent methodology that was adopted at the launch of the ESOP.
  • After seeking independent advice, eligible employees can opt-in voluntarily and purchase a number of ‘units’ (similar to shares) in the business at the current valuation.
  • Units can only be held by current employees. If an employee leaves, their share is bought back by Quiip at the share valuation at the time of departure.
  • Profit-based returns are distributed annually.

Quiip’s ESOP entitles employees to collectively own up to 30% of the business, sharing in its profits. While employees benefit directly through ownership, business decisions remain unchanged; employee share owners do not gain influence in business decisions beyond their existing roles and positions.

While equity is a common part of your package in startup land, it’s rare to participate in an ESOP that is so thoughtfully designed to encourage collective ownership. For me, participation is a tangible shared commitment to Quiip’s success, and as a well run, profitable business, the returns are very welcome too. – Will Barber, Client Services Director and Employee Share Holder

How does it differ from other employee share programs?

​​Many businesses offer stock options or equity as part of a compensation package. While these tend to be tied to future events like an IPO or acquisition or act as benefits in lieu of higher salaries or bonuses, Quiip’s Employee Share Ownership Plan is backed by an already-profitable business, the units are directly owned (known as true ownership), and returns are paid out annually.

Would an ESOP be right for your business?

For Quiip, our Employee Share Ownership Plan has been a bold and values-driven step towards building a more equitable, purpose-driven business model. 

Launched in 2023 with two senior staff buying in and expanded in 2024 to include more team members, we’re now continuing our ESOP roll-out and inviting more employees to take part. 

If you’re considering ways to share your business’ success, we would always recommend seeking advice from legal and financial experts to explore whether an ESOP may be right for you.

Curious about our approach? We’re always happy to chat. Get in touch if you’d like to learn more.