Ownership Transition Timelines

While it is possible for ownership transition timelines to be accelerated, that largely depends on the current condition of the company, including the management team and current owner.

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Succession: 5-7 Years to Prepare the Team and 12-18 Months to Work Through the Transaction.

The timelines cited below are for a contractor with a very hands-on, current owner with a functioning management team but not one that is ready to fully run the business.  

  • There is at least one leader within the management team who has expressed interest in future ownership while also demonstrating the drive and competencies required.  
  • The business is performing well, having enough capital and being able to regenerate its working capital every 4 or 5 years after taxes.
  • The current owner of the business is actively working on setting the company up for succession, including knowing what they want to do after selling the business.   
  • Starting from this foundation, assume that preparing the team will take 5-7 years and the transaction details will take 12-18 months.  
  • The single largest factor in how much these can be shortened is the speed of human development and a foundation of trust between the parties.  

If you want to discuss your particular situation, we'd love to have a conversation.


Ownership Transition Timelines
Continue building value in your business, yourself and your key team members with a good succession strategy....

Ownership Transition Timelines
Continue building value in your business, yourself and your key team members with a good succession strategy....

Key Drivers of Value
Valuation is a very critical factor during ownership transitions because it has to be a number that fairly represents the value of the business for the outgoing owners while providing a solid return for the buyers.
Succession Fact #1: Capital and Cash Flow
Succession Fact #1: No deal structure will substantially create capital or cash flow. It is only the business performance that ensures all major stakeholder groups are compensated properly for their time and capital put at risk.
Over and Under Billing Metric Trend
No amount of excellence in collections will help you get close to 100% if you are continuously under-billed on your Work-in-Progress (WIP) as a whole.