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Glossary of Terms on The Grid

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Glossary of Employee Ownership & Exit Planning

Find definitions for terms in employee ownership, exit planning, business growth, SMB advisory, M&A, and accounting in The Grid Glossary.

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Valuation Multiples

aka : —

The Valuation Multiples approach, also known as multiples analysis, is a method in valuation that compares similar companies using standardized financial metrics. It assumes that comparable firms should have similar ratios, like P/E ratios, reflecting operational similarities.

Similar : Enterprise Value, Operational Efficiency, P/E Ratio, Valuation Gap, Business Valuation, EBITDA

NPV

aka : Net Present Value

Net present value (NPV) is the difference between the present value of cash inflows and the present value of cash outflows over a period of time. NPV is used in capital budgeting and investment planning to analyze the profitability of a projected investment or project.

Similar : DCF

EO Entity

aka : Employee Ownership Entity

The choice of legal entity for an employee owned company, e.g., C corp, S corp, LLC, etc.

Similar : —

Profit Sharing

aka : —

A profit-sharing plan gives employees a share in the profits of a company.

Similar : —

Investment Club

aka : —

An investment club is a group of individuals who pool their money to make investments, typically organized as partnerships. Members collectively decide on investment actions, often after educational meetings where everyone participates in decision-making.

Similar : EO Financing

TPA

aka : Third Party Administrator

of looking or feeling more diverse, without any meaningful participation, and often

Similar : —

Valuation Gap

aka : —

A situation when an individual wants to sell his company for more money than the buyer is willing to pay

Similar : —

EO Comparison

aka : Employee Ownership Comparison

The evaluation of different types of employee ownership by a selling owner, and making a choice between them based on the relative strengths and weaknesses of each type.

Similar : —

Business Certification

aka : —

Recognition that a business meets some body of criteria according to a certifying body of some kind.

Similar : Preferred Status Certification

DisCO

aka : Distributed Cooperative Organizations

DisCOs are a set of organizational tools for people interested in commons-oriented and feminist cooperatives. An alternative to Decentralized Autonomous Organizations, or DAOs, DisCOs offer a distributed and cooperative model.

Similar : DAO, Worker Co-op

EO Competitive Advantage

aka : Employee Ownership Competitive Advantage

The many things that set EO companies apart from non-EO, driving better results for people, planet, and profit. This can include longer tenure/loyalty with customers, and employees, more wealth creation for employees, reduced carbon footprint, and more.

Similar : —

Alternative Ownership Enterprise

aka : AOE

AOE's are firms that significantly shift economic value and decision-making power toward the non-investor stakeholders they impact, such as workers, producers, consumers, community members, or even a non-financial purpose. They structurally shift away from shareholder primacy

Similar : —

Diversification

aka : —

Diversification is a risk management strategy that creates a mix of various investments within a portfolio. A diversified portfolio contains a mix of distinct asset types and investment vehicles in an attempt to limit exposure to any single asset or risk.

Similar : —

EO Audits

aka : Employee Ownership Audits

Refers to any unique auditing or testing pertaining to EO companies, such as 409(p) S ESOP anti abuse testing.

Similar : —

Bylaws

aka : —

A company document that forms internal "laws" that determine how a firm will be run. Ordinarily, the details about the company structure is reflected in the bylaws, which are not usually filed with state officials and are thus easier to amend.

Similar : Articles of Incorporation

EO Skeptic

aka : Employee Ownership Skeptic

A viewpoint of doubtfulness pertaining to one or more of the merits of becoming an EO company, typically net resulting in the viewpoint that EO is not a wise exit option.

Similar : —

IRR

aka : Internal Rate of Return

IRR, or internal rate of return, is a metric used in financial analysis to estimate the profitability of potential investments. IRR is a discount rate that makes the net present value (NPV) of all cash flows equal to zero in a discounted cash flow analysis.

Similar : —

IRS

aka : Internal Revenue Service

A US Government agency whose mission is to provide America's taxpayers top quality service by helping them understand and meet their tax responsibilities and to enforce the law with integrity and fairness to all.

Similar : —

CAFE

aka : Continuous Agreement for Future Equity

CAFE is a novel financial instrument aimed at enhancing community engagement in company success introduced by Fairmint. Developed in collaboration with legal experts, CAFE offers enhanced control for founders, equity access for stakeholders, and liquidity for investors.

Similar : SAFE

LBO

aka : Leveraged Buyout

A leveraged buyout (LBO) is when one company acquires another using mostly borrowed money, often secured by the assets of both companies.

Similar : Equity/Stock Sale, Employee-Led Buyout

EBITDA

aka : Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization

A snapshot of the profitability of a business

Similar : —

IPO

aka : Initial Public Offering

An IPO is the process by which a private company offers its shares to the public for the first time. The process involves meeting regulatory requirements, hiring investment banks to manage the offering, setting the IPO price, and issuing shares.

Similar : DPO

IRA

aka : Individual Retirement Account

An individually owned retirement savings vehicle or account.

Similar : —

401(k) + ESOP

aka : KSOP

An ESOP that operates within a 401(k). Companies match employee contributions with stock rather than cash. KSOPs are considered defined-benefit plans, as companies that offer them can reduce the administrative expenses of operating separate ESOPs and 401(k) plans.

Similar : —

Employee Impact Index

aka : —

The Employee Impact Index™ illuminates company top opportunities to leverage changes in the operational and managerial practices that have known correlations to improved human capital and financial KPIs. Index scores provide the business with an actionable roadmap to success.

Similar : —

Formerly Incarcerated/Returning Citizen/2nd Chance Hire

aka : —

A variety of terms for individuals who have been incarcerated, and who may face employment barriers as a result.

Similar : —

Consumer Co-op

aka : —

Consumer cooperatives are owned by the people who do business there

Similar : —

ROE

aka : Return on Equity

Return on Equity (ROE) measures a company's profitability by dividing net income by shareholders' equity. It indicates how effectively a company generates profits from its net assets. A higher ROE indicates better management efficiency in using equity for profit generation.

Similar : Operational Efficiency, EO Financing

Synthetic Equity

aka : —

Result of hard work by the owners.

Similar : IPO, Equity/Stock Sale

Transaction Cost

aka : —

Refers to the costs associated with business sales, e.g., business broker fees with a 3rd party sale

Similar : —

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