My husband and I have an LLC for our work doing small engine repair. Occasionally our son helps a little, but otherwise it's just us.
My husband has a close friend and former co-worker who is losing their job, and we are very busy and could use help, but we are deeply morally opposed to profiting from someone else's labor. I was thinking that perhaps we could subcontract stuff to her for a little bit, and if things are working out, then we figure out how to restructure the business.*
There is a restaurant in a nearby town that is worker-owned, but I haven't asked there for advice partly because their structure is byzantine, and idk if that comparison is apples-to-oranges because of the wildly different industries.
*
I understand that sharing ownership means sharing control. I would have qualms about that with pretty much every person I know because most people aren't as obsessed with details and informed decision-making etc as I am; I am not concerned about that with this friend, because she has the same flavor of AuDHD as I do. I was undiagnosed when we met her, and our striking similarities in personalities and behaviors were a huge part of the reasons for seeking diagnosis.
Also, it's a rural area, everybody knows everybody, and she is someone with deep roots who is pretty universally loved and respected. There are few people I would trust to try to step into my life and fill in for me if I were seriously injured, but I know she would give everything as much or more care than I do. She is the best.
Pay isn't ownership but if you want to be sure that people are property paid then a profit sharing bonus is much better than simply calculating a wage increase because profit sharing accounts for the yearly variance in business performance.
Wages are much harder to adjust in most places and can't be pinned to a variable factor like business performance.