Why I Avoid Businesses With No Clear Succession Plan

One of the most important lessons I’ve learned as a buyer is that businesses without clear succession plans carry far more risk than most people realize. On the surface, they may look attractive: solid revenue, strong customer relationships, even loyal employees. But when there’s no plan for leadership transition, the value I think I’m buying can evaporate overnight.

Over time, I’ve come to view succession planning as a critical factor in whether I pursue a deal. In fact, I’ve walked away from businesses that looked promising financially because the lack of a succession plan made them too risky. In this article, I’ll share why succession matters so much, how I evaluate it during diligence, and the mistakes I’ve made when I overlooked it.

Why Succession Planning Matters

When ownership changes, leadership inevitably shifts. If there’s no clear plan for who steps up when the seller steps out, the business can spiral into uncertainty. Employees lose direction, customers lose confidence, and operational gaps widen.

A clear succession plan ensures:

• Continuity of leadership: Someone knows how to guide the business day to day.
• Employee stability: Staff feel secure about their future.
• Customer confidence: Relationships remain intact through the transition.
• Preservation of value: The company continues to function without disruption.

Without it, even the strongest financials can collapse quickly.

My First Hard Lesson

Early in my journey, I bought a business where the owner had been the sole leader for decades. I assumed managers could step up once he left. What I didn’t realize was that everyone deferred to him for every decision. When he exited suddenly, confusion spread. Employees didn’t know who to follow. Customers sensed instability. Revenue dipped.

That experience taught me never to underestimate the importance of succession planning.

What I Look For in a Succession Plan

When I evaluate a company, I study the leadership structure carefully. I ask:

• Is there a second-in-command who can run operations if the owner leaves?
• Are there managers with authority, or does everything flow through one person?
• Is knowledge documented, or does it live only in the owner’s head?
• Have key employees been identified and prepared for greater responsibility?

If the answers are unclear, I see risk.

Signs of Weak Succession

Over time, I’ve learned to recognize patterns that signal weak or nonexistent succession:

• Employees constantly refer to “the owner” for decisions.
• There’s no clear chain of command.
• Critical knowledge isn’t written down anywhere.
• The business stops when the owner takes a vacation.

If the company can’t function without the owner, it has no real succession plan.

How Lack of Succession Hurts Valuation

Businesses without succession plans are inherently less valuable. Buyers like me discount them because of the risk. Banks also hesitate to finance them, knowing stability depends on one person.

Conversely, businesses with strong succession plans command higher multiples. They’re easier to transition, easier to finance, and less risky long-term.

How I Protect Myself

If I like a business but see weak succession, I take steps to protect myself:

• Discount the price to reflect risk.
• Negotiate seller transition periods where the owner stays involved for 6–12 months.
• Tie part of the purchase price to an earnout contingent on stability.
• Identify and incentivize key employees before closing.

These steps reduce risk, but if succession is too weak, I still walk away.

Mistakes I’ve Made

I’ve underestimated succession risk before. In one deal, I believed the seller’s assurance that “the team can run things without me.” After closing, I discovered the team was capable but not empowered. Decisions stalled, momentum slowed, and I had to spend months restructuring leadership.

That mistake reinforced my rule: never accept verbal promises about succession, look for proof in the organizational chart and day-to-day operations.

Why Succession Is About People, Not Just Titles

One thing I’ve learned is that succession isn’t about titles on paper it’s about real authority. A company might list a COO, but if that person isn’t empowered to make decisions, they aren’t a true successor.

That’s why I observe how employees interact during diligence. Do they seek approval from managers, or do they bypass them and go straight to the owner? That behavior tells me more about succession than any org chart.

My Ideal Scenario

The best businesses I’ve bought had clear succession already in place. There was a leadership team empowered to make decisions, documentation of key processes, and a culture of distributed responsibility.

In those businesses, the seller’s exit was smooth. Employees trusted the managers. Customers saw continuity. I was able to step in as owner without becoming the bottleneck.

Final Thoughts

Succession planning may not be the most glamorous part of acquisitions, but it’s one of the most important. A business without a plan is a business built on fragile foundations.

That’s why I avoid deals where leadership is too centralized in the seller. I want companies that can run without a single individual, because those are the businesses that will thrive long after the ink is dry.

I continue sharing my insights on acquisitions, private equity, and real estate at DrConnorRobertson.com, where I document the lessons I’ve learned deal by deal.