What To Do During Your First 90 Days After a Business Purchase
Your first 90 days…
When Michael Simmons purchased his first business—a small manufacturing company—he was filled with excitement. He had spent months reviewing financials, negotiating terms, and envisioning his future as a successful business owner. But once the ink dried on the deal, a wave of uncertainty hit him. Standing in the middle of the production floor on his first day as the new owner, he found himself wondering, "Okay, now that I've bought this business… what do I do next?"
It’s normal to have questions. Afterall, buying a business is a new experience for most people. Michael quickly realized that buying a business was just the beginning. Without a clear plan, he risked making costly mistakes. Fortunately, he reached out to an IBA United Business Advisor, who introduced him to the 5by5 Business System—a structured approach to ensure a smooth transition and long-term profitability.
Vision & MindsetA business needs a clear vision and the right mindset to succeed. Vision sets direction, while mindset fuels perseverance and adaptability. Without both, growth stalls, and challenges become roadblocks instead of opportunities.
Sales & MarketingSales drive revenue, and marketing attracts customers. They must work together as a system that nurtures, educates, and converts. Without consistent marketing, sales struggle, and without strong sales, marketing efforts are wasted.
Product & ServiceA great business solves real problems with quality products or services. Constant refinement and efficiency ensure customer satisfaction and repeat business. Weak products or poor service lead to stagnation and lost opportunities.
Team & CultureA business thrives when the right team operates within a strong culture. Hiring, training, and leadership create accountability and efficiency. Without culture, turnover increases, and owners are stuck micromanaging instead of scaling.
Operations & KPIsSystems bring order, and KPIs track progress. Efficient operations eliminate bottlenecks and make scaling possible. Without clear processes and measurable results, businesses run on guesswork instead of data-driven decisions.
Buying a business is an exciting yet challenging endeavor. Many entrepreneurs dream of acquiring a successful company, but the reality is often filled with unexpected hurdles. From navigating financial complexities to integrating existing teams, the process can feel overwhelming. Even seasoned business owners can find themselves struggling to transition smoothly and ensure long-term success.
One of the biggest mistakes new owners make is diving in without a clear plan. It's easy to get lost in day-to-day operations and lose sight of the bigger picture. That’s why the best way to start is with the end in mind—knowing exactly what success looks like and mapping out the steps to achieve it.
At IBA United, we’ve seen countless acquisitions fail due to poor planning, rushed decisions, and a lack of strategic vision. That’s why we strongly recommend following the 5by5 Business System—a proven framework that ensures a smooth transition while setting you up for long-term profitability and scalability. This system focuses on five core areas: vision, sales, product, team, and operations, all of which work together to create a business that runs efficiently and profitably.
Navigating the first 90 days post-acquisition is critical. Every decision you make during this time will impact the company’s trajectory for years to come. In this guide, we outline the essential steps to take in those first 90 days, ensuring that you avoid common pitfalls, optimize operations, and create a business that thrives.
If you’re feeling uncertain about your next steps, don’t hesitate to reach out to an IBA United Business Advisor. We’re here to help you implement the 5by5 Business System, guide you through this transition, and ensure you achieve the success you envisioned when you first decided to acquire the business.
By approaching this transition in three structured phases, you can ensure a smooth handover, strengthen relationships, document essential processes, and begin implementing profitable strategies that will drive sustained business growth.
Phase 1: The First 30 Days
People, Relationships, and Stabilization
The first 30 days after acquiring a business should be focused on stability, relationships, and ensuring nothing falls through the cracks. Before implementing any major changes, take time to observe, listen, and build trust with employees, customers, and suppliers. Your goal is to maintain continuity while identifying opportunities for improvement without disrupting current operations.
1. Announce the Sale Strategically
How you communicate the transition sets the tone for the company’s future. Be transparent and confident when announcing the acquisition to employees, customers, and suppliers. Address concerns head-on and, if true, assure employees that layoffs are not planned. Reinforce that the company will continue to operate smoothly and highlight your commitment to its success.
2. Rehire Employees (If an Asset Purchase)
If the acquisition was structured as an asset purchase, you must legally transition employees into the new entity. This is a chance to reinforce a strong company culture, clarify expectations, and build goodwill. Make sure payroll, benefits, and employment contracts are set up without disrupting their pay schedule.
3. Meet with Key Employees One-on-One
Take time to sit down with key employees individually to understand their roles, challenges, and insights. Ask them:
- What’s working well?
- What operational issues need improvement?
- Where do they see opportunities for growth?
These conversations not only build trust but also provide insider knowledge on how the company really operates.
4. Engage with Top Customers and Suppliers
Your most important customers and suppliers must feel secure in the transition. Proactively reach out to top clients and key vendors to reassure them about continuity and reinforce your commitment to service and quality. Ask about any concerns or unmet needs and use this as an opportunity to strengthen long-term relationships.
5. Ensure All Systems Are Functioning Properly
Make sure all essential business systems are in place and working properly, including:
✅ Accounting and financial reporting (perhaps a CPA)
✅ Payroll and benefits processing
✅ Tax compliance and legal requirements
✅ Operational software and customer relationship management (CRM)
✅ All contracts are in place.
✅ Make sure you have a qualified Business Advisor to help answer questions.
Your Goal for the First 30 Days
The foundation of a strong business is built on relationships, not just numbers. You can’t build a great business alone—your employees, customers, and suppliers all play a critical role in its success. These first 30 days are about earning trust, understanding the team, and reinforcing key relationships to ensure a smooth transition.
By focusing on people and essential operations, you set yourself up for long-term success. Employees need to feel valued, customers need reassurance, and suppliers need confidence in your leadership. With these relationships in place and basic operations running smoothly, you’ll be ready to move into Phase 2, where you can start optimizing and improving the business. 🚀
Phase 2: The Next 30 DaysSystematize, and Capture Quick Wins
With the team stabilized, it’s time to gain control over internal systems, improve operations, and drive early momentum. The focus in this phase is generating quick revenue wins, implementing a structured business system, documenting key workflows, and benchmarking for long-term scalability.
1. Implement the 5by5 Quick Start
Before making major strategic changes, focus on immediate revenue wins. The 5by5 Quick Start is designed to increase market visibility and generate more sales from existing customers. This includes:
✅ Regular outreach to existing clients to strengthen relationships and capture repeat business.
✅ Boosting market visibility through direct outreach, marketing efforts, and improving customer engagement.
2. Implement a Full Business System Like the 5by5 Business System
With revenue-driving activities in motion, it’s time to fully integrate a structured business system like the 5by5 Business System. This ensures every aspect of the business—vision, sales, product, team, and operations—is working together to create consistent, scalable growth. Having a complete system in place allows the business to operate efficiently and removes bottlenecks in sales, marketing, and operations.
3. Document Workflows and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
Once a structured business system is in place, it’s time to map out and document all key business processes. Every successful business needs clear, repeatable systems that employees can follow. Without documented workflows, operations become inconsistent, errors increase, and scaling becomes difficult. The 5by5 Business System provides a structured approach to documenting sales, operations, and financial workflows so the business can run efficiently and independently.
4. Benchmark Against Industry Best Practices
Once internal systems are structured and revenue generation is stabilized, compare the business against industry best practices. Leverage professional groups, trade associations, and competitor research to identify: ✔ Where efficiencies can be improved ✔ How pricing and service models compare to top performers ✔ Key performance indicators (KPIs) that measure business health and profitability
These benchmarks should be incorporated into the newly documented workflows and SOPs to ensure continuous improvement. By aligning internal processes with proven industry best practices, the business can improve efficiency, increase profitability, and remain competitive in the marketplace.
This second phase is about stabilizing and optimizing operations while creating momentum for long-term profitability. By executing fast sales strategies, implementing a structured business system, documenting workflows, and integrating industry benchmarks into operational improvements, the company is positioned for sustainable growth and increased efficiency. 🚀
Phase 3: The Final 30 Days – Aligning the Business for Long-Term Success
With processes in place and the business running more efficiently, the final phase focuses on aligning everything to a complete business system. The goal is to ensure that the company is structured for long-term growth, aligned with the vision of the owners or directors, and able to operate as a self-sustaining business. This is where the 5by5 Business System is fully integrated in the proper order—starting with vision, then operations, then teams, then product/service, and finally sales and marketing.
1. Align to a Complete Business System
A business must operate as a cohesive, structured system rather than a collection of disconnected tasks. By now, the 5by5 Business System should be fully implemented in its proper order: ✅ Vision – Ensure that the long-term goals of the business align with the owner's or directors' objectives. ✅ Operations – Refine and optimize business processes so the company runs efficiently with minimal owner intervention. ✅ Teams – Strengthen leadership, clarify roles, and ensure that employees are aligned with the company’s vision. ✅ Product/Service – Evaluate offerings and ensure they are optimized for profitability and market demand. ✅ Sales & Marketing – With the business infrastructure in place, focus on scalable, predictable revenue growth.
By following this structured approach, the business is no longer reactive—it is a well-aligned, well-run system designed for growth.
2. Document Operations and Establish KPIs
Operations should now be fully documented, ensuring that every workflow and process is clear, repeatable, and scalable. This includes: ✅ Refining Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) ✅ Ensuring financial, operational, and customer service processes are streamlined ✅ Defining and tracking Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
KPIs must be tied to specific business objectives and tracked regularly to measure performance in critical areas like revenue, customer retention, operational efficiency, and profitability.
3. Train Staff on Operations and Company Culture
A business can only scale if the team is aligned with operations and company values. This step ensures that: ✅ Every employee understands their role and responsibilities ✅ The team is trained on SOPs and operational systems ✅ Company culture is reinforced so that employees operate with accountability
A well-trained team creates consistency, increases efficiency, and reduces dependence on the owner for day-to-day operations.
4. Refine Product and Service Offerings
Before making any changes to sales and marketing, it’s critical to refine the product or service offerings to ensure they meet market demand and maximize profitability. This includes: ✔ Evaluating pricing models to optimize profit margins ✔ Adjusting products or services based on customer feedback and industry trends ✔ Improving delivery efficiency to increase customer satisfaction and retention
By refining the product/service before scaling sales and marketing, the business ensures that new customers are being introduced to a high-quality, optimized offering.
5. Refine and Scale Sales and Marketing
Once the business foundation is strong, it’s time to dial in sales and marketing for long-term, sustainable growth. This includes: 📢 Optimizing lead generation strategies (paid and organic marketing efforts) 🎯 Refining sales scripts, closing techniques, and follow-up systems 🔄 Aligning sales and marketing efforts with business goals and market positioning
A strong product/service combined with an optimized sales process leads to higher conversion rates, greater customer retention, and increased profitability.
Congratulations! You have reached the end of 90 days!
The business should no longer feel like a collection of moving parts—it should be a fully structured, aligned system designed for long-term success. The 5by5 Business System ensures that each part of the business is built in the correct order, creating a profitable, scalable, and self-sustaining company. With vision, operations, teams, product/service, and sales & marketing fully aligned, the business is now positioned for predictable, long-term growth. 🚀
You don’t have to use the 5by5 Business System but you will need to apply the principles taught in 5by5. 5by5 is a framework to better understand how business works.
Your First 90 Days Define Your FutureMake Them Count!
Michael Simmons stood in his new office, reflecting on the whirlwind of the past three months. The uncertainty he felt on day one had been replaced by clarity, confidence, and control. With the guidance of an IBA United Business Advisor, he had successfully navigated his first 90 days, turning a new acquisition into a thriving, well-structured business. The structured approach had helped him stabilize his team, optimize operations, refine his offerings, and set the stage for scalable growth.
Like Michael, many new business owners start with excitement mixed with uncertainty. The first 90 days after acquiring a company can be overwhelming, filled with challenges you didn’t anticipate and decisions that feel impossible to make alone. But they don’t have to be. With the right plan, a clear roadmap, and expert guidance, you can turn those first 90 days into the strongest foundation for long-term success.
At IBA United, we help business owners navigate the critical first months after an acquisition. Whether you’re optimizing operations, integrating a new team, refining your product offerings, or scaling your sales and marketing, our advisors provide the strategic insight and proven business systems needed to succeed.
Your business acquisition should be a success story, not a struggle. Let IBA United Business Advisors help you take control of your new company, eliminate the guesswork, and set it up for long-term, profitable growth.
📞 Find an IBA United Business Advisor today at IBAUnited.com and take the first step toward making your business acquisition a lasting success. 🚀
For more insights and strategies on business growth, visit IBA United and explore how the 5by5 Business System can help you maximize profitability and efficiency.
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