In case you've not seen it in the press already, brace yourself for some big news: I-COM has officially become an employee-owned business.

That's right, as of July 2019 we - myself the Managing Director along with Technical Director Ravi Bhalla - let our staff know that we transferred a majority stake in I-COM into their hands with the establishment of an Employee Owned Trust (EOT).

What the Heck Does that Mean?

Originally the shares in the business were held by our families. We've now transferred the majority of those shares into an Employee Ownership Trust that operates for the benefit of all employees of the business.

To help cement this new structure, three employees have now joined our board and, going forward, the whole team will have a much greater involvement in driving the business.

The newest members of the I-COM Board

Now Why on Earth Would We Set up an EOT?

This year is I-COM's 15-year anniversary, and the establishment of the EOT is a major part of our celebration of the past, recognition of our present, and preparation for the future.

Over the years we've grown to become one of the most-established and well-respected digital marketing agencies in Manchester, and we've stayed this way for one major reason: the talent, dedication and passion of our team.

Without our staff, we wouldn't be able to deliver the very best, most innovative and highest-quality of services that we offer our clients.

Our people make I-COM. And not only do we want to make sure that we are attracting the very best in the business, but we also want to ensure were looking after the people we already have.

We've always recognised the hard work of our employees with seasonal financial bonuses, plus a relaxed and sociable company culture revolving around pay-day socials, summer parties and Christmas celebrations.

But this year, as we turned 15, we knew it was time to go one step further and offer something extra: stability.

By giving each and every one of our people a stake in the business, we're letting them know that we're investing in them; that we trust them and we want them to stick around for as long as they're able.

And it's not just a financial reward - with a majority stake, our employees now have the deciding voice in how we run I-COM and what direction we want it to take. We hope that this will give everyone a sense of ownership over the work we collectively do, and enable them to take greater pride in our successes.

The Knock-on Effect for Clients

With greater sense of ownership and pride, plus the confidence stemming from the enhanced stability, we believe the EOT will have a fantastic knock-on effect for our clients.

Our staff now have a financial interest in our clients success: when our clients do well, our business does well, and through the EOT our employees will now also reap the rewards - making their commitment ever more pronounced!

In addition, while our staff retention rates are already some of the best in the sector, keeping this down will only help to ensure the smooth, long-term delivery of our services.

Get in Touch

If I-COM sounds like the kind of company for you, get in touch with us to see how our digital marketing experts can help you deliver outstanding results.