Owner having second thoughts

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August 19, 2025

by a searcher from Bowling Green State University - College of Business Administration in Columbus, OH, USA

I just closed on a Commercial landscape business after roughly 9 months of due diligence and dealing with the SBA. The owner is having second thoughts and he is a great guy, but is having problems with giving up the reigns. (He has owned the business for 30 years) I am not making any changes for the short term (6 months) and he knows this. Just curious if anybody has experienced this with a new acquisition.
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Reply by a searcher
from Boston University in Boston, MA, USA
This is the most difficult part of any acquisition. I suggest not wasting any time and have an open discussion. First, you should make sure he's clear on the vision and agrees with it. Make sure he's clear that you're the owner now and making the decisions about the business. If there's a way to repurpose him into another role (sales or the like) that he'll enjoy, that could work too. If he doesn't fit the culture you're trying to build or you get a strong feeling he won't contribute towards your vision, move on quickly. Previous owners can quickly spoil the culture, and employees will tend to follow their original leader. At the minimum, set up some guardrails quickly to set the stage for decisions to come to you vs him. Sometimes that makes the point.
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Reply by a searcher
in Los Angeles, CA, USA
he needs to repurpose. ask him what is next talk about what is next he has to see the vision of whats next
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