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Free guide for Texas owners planning a handoff

A Business Built to Outlast You

The 4 ways to safely transition your business to new leadership, and how to prepare today to make it happen.

  • How you get paid on each way
  • Why one shop gets 2× earnings, another 4–5×
  • An 8-line scorecard for your shop
Cover of A Business Built to Outlast You: The 4 Ways to Safely Transition Your Business to New Leadership, and How to Prepare Today to Make It Happen

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The 4 ways to hand off your business

Every owner leaves. The question is who takes over.

  1. Outside buyer

    Who takes over
    Competitor or private equity
    How you get paid
    65–80% cash at closing
    Typical timeline
    Balance over 1–3 years
    Deal killer
    Needs you daily, messy books

  2. Family

    Who takes over
    Son, daughter or relative
    How you get paid
    A note paid from profits
    Typical timeline
    Paid over 5–10 years
    Deal killer
    Keys handed over by birthday

  3. Employees

    Who takes over
    The whole crew, via an ESOP
    How you get paid
    30–50% cash, you carry rest
    Typical timeline
    Note over 5–8 years
    Deal killer
    Too costly under $10M revenue

  4. Managers

    Who takes over
    Your 2–3 supervisors
    How you get paid
    Profit buy-in, then a note
    Typical timeline
    Note over 5–7 years
    Deal killer
    Payments over 30% of profit

Mixing two or three over 3–5 years often beats one big closing.

What’s in the free guide

page 15 Start here: 3 yes-or-no questions

  • Someone else prices and signs bids for 90 days without you
  • Books a stranger can read without you
  • Contracts, licenses and bonding survive a handoff

A “no” tells you what to fix first.

  • 18pages, made to print
  • 24–60 mo.to your step-back date
  • 30%most a yearly buyout payment should take from profit
  • $800K+difference in after-tax cash, same $3.4M shop
  • p2A letter from SweetSpot’s founder
  • p3The four questions owners ask
  • p4Your 6-part roadmap
  • p5–8The 4 ways, one page each
  • p9–10Hand it off in stages: a $6.5M shop’s plan
  • p11Two rules, four paperwork traps
  • p12Why the IRS treats it as a sale
  • p13From 2× to 4–5× earnings
  • p14The $3.4M reality check
  • p15Start here: 3 yes-or-no questions
  • p16The 8-line scorecard and 30% stress test
  • p17Why good owners stall
  • p18Transition Blueprint Day

Two of the 18 pages

A page from A Business Built to Outlast You: the 3-Question Readiness Check: three yes-or-no questions on bids, books, and contracts, licenses and bonding, with how to score your shop
p15 The 3-question readiness check
A page from A Business Built to Outlast You: two continuity rules and the four paperwork traps that hit every transition, each with the trap and the fix
p11 The four paperwork traps, each with its fix

For Texas contractors and trade shops, $1M–$50M in revenue, handing off in the next 1–5 years.

By SweetSpot Business Advisors in Houston. We’re not brokers and take no commission.

Questions owners ask before they sign up

Is it free, and how do I get it?

Yes, and no card. We email you a private link that works for three days.

What is A Business Built to Outlast You?

A free 18-page guide to the 4 ways to hand off your shop, and how to get it ready.

What are the four ways to transition a business?

An outside buyer, family, your employees or your managers. Mixing two or three often beats one big closing.

What happens to my business when I retire?

One of the four ways takes it over. It goes best if the shop runs 90 days without you and has two clean years of books.

Can I sell my business to my employees?

Yes. The crew can own it through an ESOP, but that costs too much under $10M in revenue, or your supervisors can buy you out from profits over 5 to 7 years.

How long does it take to get a business ready to hand off?

Plan on two to three years. Buyers and lenders want two clean years of books behind you.

Will someone call me?

Only if you ask, or if we’ve already talked. The form has no phone field, but you can tap Call me now after you sign up and an advisor calls within minutes.

I haven’t picked a way yet. Where do I start?

Page 15 has three yes-or-no questions: bids, books, and contracts. A “no” tells you what to fix first.

What should I do after I read it?

Fill in the page-16 scorecard with your co-owner or spouse. If you get stuck, page 18 shows the next step, Transition Blueprint Day: one day with just the owners, $4,750 plus travel, and a written, dated plan about a week later.

What happens next

  1. Fill in the form.Free. No card, no phone number.
  2. Check your email.Your link arrives in minutes and works for three days.
  3. Start on page 15.Three yes-or-no questions. Do them with your co-owner or spouse.
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