The first ninety days
We meet everyone, we learn the routines, and we change as little as possible. Payroll, suppliers and customer service should feel identical from the outside.
Behind the scenes it is banking, insurance, software licences and the unglamorous administration of a change of control.
Months four to twelve
This is where investment happens: filling gaps in the team, tidying systems, fixing the pricing nobody had time to review, and putting proper management reporting in place.
Growth ideas come mostly from staff who have been waiting years for someone to say yes.
The seller's role
It varies. Some owners hand over in a month; others stay for a year, or keep a part-time role they enjoy and drop the parts they do not.
What matters is that the role is written down, time-limited and honest — for both sides.