For business owners
A planned succession for your business
Most owners have three choices when they're ready to step back: sell to a big buyer, list with a broker and hope, or close the doors. There's a fourth: hand the business to a capable successor over a few years, and get paid as you go.
How it works
- We talk. Confidentially, about what you've built, what you want for your people, and your timeline, even if it's years away.
- We introduce a successor. We look for an experienced operator who fits your business and your community. You meet them and decide.
- They learn the business alongside you. Typically your successor joins as a manager first, so customers and employees get to know them while you're still there.
- They buy the business in stages. A phased buyout spreads the purchase over several years, funded largely from the business's own earnings, often with a bank loan or seller financing.
- You step back on a schedule you agreed. Your involvement shrinks as the payments are made, until the handover is complete.
How you get paid
In a phased buyout you receive the value of your business, as you would in a sale, but spread over time. Common structures include a down payment at the start, then scheduled payments from the business's earnings, sometimes combined with a bank loan. Your attorney and accountant set the exact terms with you.
See how payments over time work, with a calculator.
What happens to your employees
Continuity is the point. We look for successors who want to keep the team, the name, and the way you serve customers. Your involvement during the handover lets you introduce your successor to the people who matter.
Our confidentiality promise
- We never contact your employees, customers, suppliers, or competitors.
- Your business is never listed publicly or advertised.
- We share details with a successor only with your permission, and under a confidentiality agreement.
Common questions
Does it cost me anything?
No. There is no cost to owners to talk with us, to meet successors, or to plan a handover with us.
I’m not ready yet. Is it too early?
Almost certainly not. A good handover takes years to plan, and the owners with the most choices are the ones who start early.
What if my business is small?
Many of the businesses that matter most to a community are small. Tell us about yours.
Are you a business broker?
No. We don't list businesses for sale. We introduce owners to successors and help structure a gradual handover. You'll work with your own attorney and accountant on the agreement.
Who are the successors?
Experienced operators and managers who want to own and run an established business for the long term. We speak with every candidate before introducing them, and you meet them yourself before deciding anything.
Prefer the phone? Call (000) 000-0000.