Question: After 28 years, why did you decide to sell the business?
Answer: I wanted more time off to travel with my wife and spend more time with the grandkids.
Q: What advice would you give to business owners selling their business?
A: Take your time in screening the companies or individuals that you would like to sell the business to, and be sure to pick a company that has the resources and corporate structure to maintain and increase the capabilities of your company.
Q: How long did it take to sell the business?
A: It took approximately two years to sell the company, and we had to provide a lot of information and company records which were required by their due diligence.
Q: What was the biggest challenge in the 28 years?
A: Finding the right employees to do the job and reliable, trustworthy suppliers. Maintaining relationships with clients and providing exceptional customer service and maintaining economical prices.
Q: What is the key to keeping good employees?
A: Treating everyone as part of my family and taking care of their individual needs.
Q: Did you have opportunities to expand? Why did you decide to stay small?
A: There were opportunities to expand the business, but I was challenged with finding the right people to mesh with our current core of employees. After 28 years of experience, I found that with the clients and employees we have, we maintained a comfortable work environment and provide exceptional customer service.
Q: What will your role be now?
A: I will continue to work with Safeguard in the forseeable future in sales to transition the client base and maintain the same reliable customer service. Our clients will benefit from the additional resources that Safeguard has to offer.
