Solidify Your Legacy. Share Your Success. Keep Canadian Businesses Canadian.
Supporting Canadian business owners to transition through employee ownership—creating values-aligned exits that protect what you’ve built while sharing prosperity with the people who helped you build it.
Transform your business succession into a powerful legacy that contributes to a more equitable society for all Canadians.
TRUSTED BY CANADIAN BUSINESS LEADERS
As a business owner you are likely facing one of two challenges.
- How to exit in a way that honours your values, looks after their employees, and unlocks the wealth you’ve built.
- How to retain and engage top talent in a competitive market where succession gaps and turnover can threaten long-term success.
At Firefly Insights, we design and implement employee ownership strategies—from Employee Ownership Trusts (EOTs) and phased buyouts to custom Employee Share Ownership Plans (ESOPs). With over 21 years of experience in Employee Ownership, we’ve built a human-centered, proven process that aligns ownership with performance, engages employees as long-term partners, and structures tax-effective, values-aligned transitions.
The results speak for themselves, our clients have seen:
- 230% share value increases,
- 180% revenue growth,
- Tripled profitability.
- Companies reduce turnover by up to 67%,
- Strengthened leadership continuity, and a culture of commitment.
You achieve clarity and peace of mind with seamless exits, while the businesses remain resilient, locally owned, and positioned for long-term success.
“We knew we needed a succession plan that reflected our values and long-term vision. Working with Firefly Insights was an excellent experience. Jennifer guided our team through a comprehensive exploration of options, always keeping our goals and the needs of our employees front and center. The Share Freeze solution they proposed was transformative—it made employee ownership accessible while allowing us to realize the fair value of the company over time.”
Ready to choose an Employee Owned exit that’s right for you?
Employee Ownership Trusts (EOTs)
Design and implement succession strategies to transfer ownership to employees, preserving your legacy. Create tax-effective exits for $5M–$50M Canadian businesses, ensuring continuity of culture, community impact, and long-term thriving under employee ownership for generations.
Employee Share Ownership Plans (ESOPs)
Develop custom equity-sharing programs that attract and retain top talent while building wealth for your team. Structure profit-sharing, stock options, and ownership plans that turn your 50–500 person company into a magnet for exceptional employees who think and act like owners.
Strategic Succession Planning (SSP)
Guide values-driven owners through planning and transition. Navigate legal, tax, & governance challenges while preserving Canadian roots & rewarding contributors. Explore case studies of Canadian businesses transforming succession, retention, & recruitment challenges into lasting success.
“Firefly Insights provided invaluable support during a pivotal time for The Red Apron. Their ability to guide us through complex shareholder dynamics and help us create clear roles and responsibilities was instrumental in our ability to move forward and grow. Thanks to their expertise, we’ve been able to expand our business and continue to serve our community with confidence.”
Our impact speaks for itself:
- Helped businesses grow share value by 230% through employee ownership
- Enabled 180% revenue growth with ESOP strategies that align teams around
performance - Supported companies to reduce turnover by up to 67%, boosting profitability and continuity
- Delivered phased employee buyouts that led to full, tax-effective exits
- Guided dozens of business owners from uncertainty to clarity with our proven,
human-centered process
These results are not one-off success stories — they are proof that when ownership is shared, businesses gain enduring value, stability, and momentum.
About Firefly Insights
At Firefly Insights, we believe that ownership structures are a strategy that strengthens businesses, rewards teams, protects legacies, and builds a more equitable Canadian economy.
With over a decade of experience, we have guided Canadian founders and leadership teams through complex ownership transitions, always with a people-first, financially sound approach rooted in a deep conviction that wealth should flow to those who create it. Every time a Canadian business stays locally owned through employee ownership, we strengthen our communities, keep decision-making power at home, and create opportunities for working Canadians to build real wealth. This isn’t just good business—it’s how we build a more just society where prosperity is shared, not concentrated. We see employee ownership as one of the most powerful tools for economic equity Canada has, transforming the people who build businesses into the people who own them.
Ready to Keep Your Business Canadian While Building Wealth for Your Team?
Download: The Canadian Business Owner’s Guide to Employee Ownership
5 Tax-Efficient Strategies to Exit While Keeping Your Business Canadian
What if your succession plan could:
Preserve your legacy and company culture
Create life-changing wealth for your employees
Keep decision-making power in Canadian hands
Deliver better tax outcomes than a traditional sale
This comprehensive guide reveals exactly how Canadian business owners like you are using employee ownership to achieve all four.
Inside You'll Discover:
✓ The Two Pathways to Employee Ownership – EOTs for succession and ESOPs for growth, with clear guidance on which fits your situation
✓ Tax Strategies Most Advisors Don’t Know – Capital gains deferrals, employee ownership tax benefits, and side-by-side comparisons with traditional exits
✓ 5 Proven Implementation Models – Real frameworks used by successful Canadian companies from $5M to $100M in revenue
✓ Canadian Success Stories – How an Ontario manufacturer, BC tech firm, and Alberta engineering company transformed through employee ownership
✓ Business Readiness Assessment – 10-minute evaluation to determine if your company is positioned for employee ownership success
✓ The Hidden Costs of Selling Out – What really happens when Canadian businesses are acquired by foreign buyers or private equity
