What a Permanent Owner Does in the First 18 Months

A buyer planning to resell aims its work at an exit a few years out. We plan to run a company for decades, so the first 18 months after closing go into setting the business up to run well without the former owner and to keep getting stronger after that.

Day 1: Someone From Our Side on Site

Someone from our side is at the business from the first day after closing, so the team has a person to bring questions to and the former owner has a counterpart for the handover.

Months 1 to 12: Learn Before Changing

The first year goes into learning how the business actually runs from the people who run it, which customers matter most and why, and where the owner has been carrying the load personally. The changes that come early are the ones that protect the business, like reporting everyone can rely on, a weekly view of cash and support for the people taking over what the owner used to do.

The former owner’s role through this stretch is agreed in the letter of intent, and it can be a few months of handover or a longer, defined role, whichever suits the owner and the business.

Months 12 to 18: Permanent Leadership

By the end of the first 18 months, permanent leadership is in place and the business runs day to day without the former owner, with the existing team at the core.

Year 2 and Beyond: Building for the Long Term

With no fund deadline and no plan to sell, the decisions after that are made on a long horizon, from equipment and systems to hiring and new customers. What we want to see a decade from now is a company stronger than the one we bought, run by people who’ve grown with it.