Employee Ownership as a Growth Strategy for SME Sized Studios
- Howard Mann
- Jul 8
- 3 min read
Growth can be a double-edged sword for SME sized design firms. On one hand, you're ready to scale. On the other, you're fiercely protective of your culture, values, and identity. External investors, mergers, or hierarchical expansion often come with compromise.
But what if growth could be built from the inside out?
Employee Ownership Trusts (EOTs) aren’t just a succession solution. For architectural and design studios, they’re proving to be a strategic framework for sustainable, people-powered growth. In this article, we explore how EOTs are enabling studios to scale while keeping creativity, continuity, and culture firmly intact.
Ownership Mindset Drives Productivity and Innovation
When people feel ownership, they act like owners.
In growing studios, keeping teams aligned and proactive can be a challenge. EOTs make every employee a beneficiary of success, instilling a sense of shared responsibility that leads to smarter thinking, bolder ideas, and higher standards.
Under this model, staff don’t just deliver—they lead improvements, anticipate client needs, and innovate from within.
Example Implementation Strategy:
Identify 2–3 key inefficiencies in your project delivery or design workflow.
Create a task force of employees and ask: “If you were an owner, how would you fix this?”
Case Study:
HLM Architects leveraged employee ownership to drive continuous improvement across design teams, directly contributing to their ability to grow in public sector and education work. (HLM source)
Takeaway:
EOTs transform culture from compliance to contribution.
You Can Scale Without Building More Hierarchy
Growth doesn’t have to mean top-heavy leadership.
Many studios hit a wall trying to retain rising stars. Traditional responses—more promotions, inflated titles—create rigid hierarchies that don’t always reflect real value. EOTs offer an alternative: reward people with a financial stake and governance voice instead of empty promotions.
It’s a career progression model that aligns with modern studio values—flat, fair, and focused on impact.
Exercise for Studio Leaders:
Plot your org chart today and 2 years from now.
Ask: “Where can shared ownership replace hierarchy as a reward mechanism?”
Case Study:
Assael Architecture credits their EOT transition with improving employee retention and allowing them to reward project-level excellence without unnecessary structural complexity. (Assael source)
Takeaway:
You can grow your practice without growing your bureaucracy.
Employee Ownership Enhances Recruitment and Reputation
Being employee-owned is a magnet for purpose-led clients and top talent.
As you scale, your brand story matters more. Studios that are employee-owned stand out—for all the right reasons. You're not just designing buildings; you're building a company your people co-own.
It’s a compelling message to clients who care about ethics and continuity—and to prospective hires who want more than just a salary.
Example Implementation Strategy:
Add “We are 100% employee-owned” to your website footer, bids, and social profiles.
Monitor impact on applicant volume and client conversion rate over 6 months.
Case Study:
Make Architects experienced increased inbound talent interest and stronger alignment with values-driven clients after moving to employee ownership. (Make source)
Takeaway:
Employee ownership is not just good governance—it’s great marketing.
EOT Governance Makes Growth Sustainable
Shared ownership creates a structure for long-term thinking—not short-term exits.
Scaling can bring pressure—on cash, culture, and continuity. EOTs support strategic expansion because they prioritise the health of the business and its people. Trustees oversee decisions with employee interests at heart, keeping your practice rooted in its founding values as it evolves.
From opening a new office to launching new services, EOT governance offers clarity, transparency, and checks on mission drift.
Example Implementation Strategy:
Involve your employee reps in planning your next growth initiative.
Use a trustee forum to stress-test how growth aligns with your studio’s purpose.
Case Study:
Stride Treglown expanded across the UK under their EOT model, using the trust’s governance structure to maintain studio autonomy while aligning growth with employee benefit. (Stride source)
Takeaway:
EOTs make growth a shared project—not a personal exit.
Understanding It in Practice: A Studio on the Rise
Case Study: Studio XYZ (Fictionalised Composite)
A practice specialising in urban regeneration adopted an EOT structure to solve a series of emerging challenges:
Two founding directors planning partial exits
A rise in staff turnover
Increased competition for tenders from large, corporate firms
After transitioning to an EOT, they:
Retained 100% independence while giving employees financial participation
Introduced quarterly town halls where trustees and reps shared decisions and updates
Saw a 40% increase in applicant interest and won two major civic tenders citing ownership model as a factor
Their transition wasn’t about leaving—it was about growing on their own terms.
Rethink What Growth Can Look Like
If you’re a studio looking to scale—without selling out or selling short—employee ownership offers a growth path that matches your values. It's not about stepping away. It’s about stepping up as a collective.
The tools, structure, and mindset are all there. You just need the right blueprint.
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