Charlie Iscoe from CommonShares

15/01/2025 45 min Episodio 243

Listen "Charlie Iscoe from CommonShares"

Episode Synopsis

Charlie Iscoe is the Co-Founder of CommonShares.

CommonShares is a business succession platform that enables retiring owners to get fair value for their business while ensuring that their employees and communities are cared for.
They facilitate fair and efficient exits for retiring owners, recruit, train and support succession leadership as required, and transition the business to employee ownership over time.
They believe that business succession can be a win-win outcome for owners, workers, and communities.

Takeaways

Charlie transitioned from banking to entrepreneurship.
Sunday Farms his first venture.
Travelling around the world helped Charlie gain clarity on his entrepreneurial aspirations.
CommonShares aims to address the succession planning crisis among small business owners.
The "Silver Tsunami".
Over 90% of small business owners lack a succession plan, creating a significant opportunity.
Employee-owned companies tend to outperform their peers in various metrics.
CommonShares' model.
Financing and structuring deals.
Post-acquisition support and operations.
Common Shares is positioned to become the buyer of choice for businesses transitioning to employee ownership.
Creating a "Win-Win-Win" model.


Chapters
00:00 From Banking to Entrepreneurship
04:16 The Birth of Sunday Farms
10:22 Identifying the Silver Tsunami
18:17 CommonShares: A New Business Model
26:46 Financing and Structuring Deals
30:54 Post-Acquisition Support and Operations
39:00 Collaborations and Future Opportunities

Keywords
entrepreneurship, employee ownership, business succession, private equity, small business, investment, CommonShares, Sunday Farms, financial model, community impact