The Owners Who Start Years Ahead Keep Their Options Open.
Those who wait often sell under pressure.
A structured, confidential process to find and negotiate with buyers outside the business, whether that's a strategic acquirer, a private equity firm, or an individual buyer. You control what's shared, and with whom, until you're ready.
Typical Timeline:Six to twelve months from engagement to close, once the business is properly prepared.
Owners who want to maximize value through a competitive process, and who don't have a family member or manager ready and willing to take over.
Passing the business to a spouse, child, or other family member, with attention to fairness among family members, tax structure, and whether the successor is genuinely ready to run it.
Typical Timeline:Often planned over several years, since preparing a successor well takes longer than preparing a sale.
Owners with a family member who wants the business, and who has the interest and capability to run it well.
Selling the business to one or more members of your existing management team, usually financed through a combination of buyer capital, seller financing, and sometimes outside lending.
Typical Timeline:Twelve to twenty-four months, since financing and management readiness both take time to structure properly.
Owners with a capable management team already in place, who want continuity for employees and customers alongside a fair price.
Questions to Ask Before You Choose a Path
Is There Someone Already in the Business, Family or Management, Who Genuinely Wants to Run It?
Does Your Timeline Allow for a Multi Year Transition, or Are You Further Along Than That?
Have You Had the Direct Conversation With Family or Key Employees Yet, About Their Interest and Readiness?
Is Maximizing Value Your Top Priority, or Is Continuity for Your People and Customers More Important to You?
If Something Happened to You Unexpectedly Tomorrow, Is There a Plan in Place, or Would Your Family and Business Be Starting From Zero?
Common Mistakes
- Waiting Until Health or Burnout Forces the Decision
- Assuming a Family Member Wants the Business, Without Ever Asking Directly
- Having No Written Plan, Even When the Intent is Clear in Your Own Head
- Treating a Management Buyout as a Formality, Rather Than a Financed Transaction That Needs Real Structure
- Unclear or Unequal Communication Among Siblings or Co-Owners, Which Tends to Surface at the Worst Possible Time
Family transfers and management buyouts each carry their own tax and financing considerations, separate from those of an outright sale. We work alongside your accountant and lawyer early in the process, so the structure fits your situation before anything is set in motion.
A Realistic Range, & the Factors that Affect It.
Any range we provide is a preliminary, informal estimate for discussion only. It is not a formal or certified valuation, and it is not financial, tax, or investment advice.
Not Sure Where to Start?
Our Succession Planning Checklist walks through what buyers look at, your business, your people, and your advisors, so you can see where you stand before you talk to anyone.
Open the ChecklistLet's Talk, on Your Timeline.
First meeting strictly confidential.
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