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Since launching in 2005, the Enterprise Nation team has helped thousands of people start and grow their businesses. Led by founder Emma Jones MBE, Enterprise Nation continues to be the most active UK small business community and a leading campaigning voice for small business. Joining Enterprise Nation connects you with resources, community and connections you need to reach your business goals.

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Dear Enterprise Nation community, it's Emma - I need your help...

) is founder of Enterprise Nation, a business expert and author

10 recommendations to help small businesses grow

). Recommendation number 6 calls for the creation of a new model, which would allow small business owners to give freelancers they work with share in their businesses. As far as I can tell, all share option schemes (and subsequent tax reliefs) are for companies wanting to reward and incentivise 

 Many small businesses are growing by outsourcing work to talented 

contractors and self-employed professionals

 - and there's no model to reward and incentivise that workforce with shares. To me, this screams gap in the market.

companies that offer employees shares outperform those that don't

. I can certainly see, in my own business, the benefits of offering share ownership to a loyal band of freelancers. It's something I've been keen to do for a while, but I've never found the right or proven model. I want to reward my team for their hard work to date and offer them a piece of the business, so they remain motivated and committed to help realise our ambitious vision. I'm talking with experts at theÂ 

Â to ask about the feasibility of such a model, but what would be really useful to know is if you would find this useful too!

Please let us know what you think about offering freelancers shares. Your view will help determine whether this is something Enterprise Nation spends time on lobbying the government.

Let us know what you think inÂ the comments

Shares for freelancers: Shall we make it happen?

Following a degree in Law and Japanese, Emma joined international accounting firm Arthur Andersen, where she worked in London, Leeds and Manchester offices and set up the firm's Inward Investment practice that attracted overseas companies to locate in the UK. 



In 2000, bitten by the dot.com bug, Emma left the firm to start her first business, Techlocate. 

After 15 months, the company was successfully sold to Tenon plc. The experience of starting, growing and selling a business from a home base gave Emma the idea for Enterprise Nation which was launched in 2006 as the home business website. The company has since expanded to become a small business membership community of over 75,000 people who benefit from events and support: online and in person. Enterprise Nation also presents a campaigning voice to government and the media on behalf of its members. 

In 2021, Emma was awarded a CBE for services to small businesses and entrepreneurs.

Founder

Announcing the launch of a new-look Enterprise Nation platform

After a sturdy spring clean, the Enterprise Nation platform is set for a new look.

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