Transition Evaluation & Feasibility

Choosing an ownership model is one of the most significant decisions a founder will make. Before you engage lawyers or spend capital on implementation, you need to know what your business can realistically support.

Our Transition Evaluation & Feasibility engagement is designed to answer the hard questions first. We help you assess whether a mission-aligned ownership transition is viable and, specifically, which options align with your financial goals, operational realities, and values.

How does this engagement support your decision?

Ownership transitions affect far more than ownership itself. This engagement is designed to evaluate your business's readiness holistically.

We help you assess:

  • Whether your company is prepared for an ownership transition

  • Which ownership paths are realistically feasible

  • How different options affect mission, governance, and control

  • What risks, gaps, or constraints need attention before moving forward

The goal is not to push a specific model but to support confident, well-informed decisions.

How Stronghold Ownership evaluates feasibility

  • Ownership Readiness

    We assess whether your organization has the leadership capacity, operational stability, and decision-making structures required for transition.

  • Financial Feasibility

    We explore whether the business can support a transition over time, including high-level considerations related to liquidity, reinvestment, and sustainability (without providing financial advice).

  • Mission Protection

    We evaluate how well your mission can be protected under different ownership approaches and where formal governance mechanisms may be necessary.

  • Founder Goals

    We work with you to clarify personal objectives, timing considerations, and non-negotiables that shape feasibility.

How the Engagement Works

  • Step 1: Framing the Decision

    We begin by aligning on your core goals, fears, and decision criteria. We strip away the noise to focus on what matters most to your legacy and lifestyle.

  • Step 2: Feasibility Assessment

    We dive deep into your data. We evaluate your organizational readiness and identify any "red flags" or constraints that could derail a transition.

  • Step 3: Scenario Exploration

    We don't just give you one answer. We explore a small set of realistic ownership scenarios, surfacing the key tradeoffs and risks of each so you can see the future before you build it.

  • Step 4: Synthesis & Recommendation

    We deliver clear insights and a specific recommendation. Whether the answer is "Move forward," "Pivot to a new model," or "Wait and prepare," you will leave with total clarity.

The Outcome: Confidence to Move Forward

By the end of this engagement, the speculation stops. You will have:

  • Viability: A clear understanding of which ownership options will actually work for your specific company.

  • Reality Check: Insight into risks, gaps, and constraints that need attention immediately.

  • Alignment: A strategy that balances business health with your personal financial goals.

  • A Roadmap: The confidence to engage legal and tax professionals with a clear directive, saving time and money in the next phase.

Is This Right for You?

This service is designed for founders and business owners exploring mission-aligned ownership options, such as Purpose Trusts, Employee Ownership, or Stewardship Models.

It is for leaders who want to protect their culture and independence but need to validate the path before they walk it.

This service is not for those seeking immediate transaction execution without evaluation, or for those looking for a standard M&A sale to the highest bidder.

Choose well by understanding what’s viable. The future of your company depends on the foundation you lay today. Let’s ensure that the foundation is solid.

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FAQs

  • Many businesses consider mission-aligned ownership before fully understanding their readiness. Readiness depends on factors such as leadership depth, operational stability, financial resilience, and clarity around long-term goals. A transition evaluation assesses whether the business can support a change in ownership without risking the mission, culture, or performance.

  • Evaluating ownership options involves assessing feasibility and trade-offs before committing to a specific structure. Choosing a structure, such as a purpose trust or employee ownership model, comes later. A feasibility evaluation helps clarify which paths are realistic for your business and which may introduce unintended risks if pursued too early.

  • The best time to evaluate ownership options is before a transition becomes urgent. Starting early allows founders to explore possibilities, identify constraints, and plan intentionally rather than making decisions under pressure. Evaluation can also determine whether now is the right time to move forward or whether preparation is needed first.

  • Not necessarily. A transition evaluation is often most valuable before engaging legal, tax, or financing professionals. It helps clarify goals, feasibility, and direction so that when professional advisors are involved, conversations are more focused, efficient, and aligned with the desired outcome.

  • Yes. One of the most valuable outcomes of a transition evaluation is clarity, whether that means moving forward, adjusting expectations, or deciding to wait. Choosing not to proceed immediately can be a successful outcome if it helps avoid misalignment, financial strain, or unintended consequences.