Post-Acquisition 90-Day Playbook for New Owners

Phase 1 — STABILIZE (Days 1–30): Preserve existing value. Nothing breaks. No customers lost. No key employees quit. All systems operational.

Phase 2 — UNDERSTAND (Days 31–60): Build your own operational picture from scratch. Don't rely solely on what you were told. Verify everything. Build relationships.

Phase 3 — IMPROVE (Days 61–90): Begin implementing your highest-impact, lowest-risk changes. Communicate, execute, measure.

DAILY HABIT (all 90 days):
□ Review prior day's revenue / sales activity
□ Walk through (or check in with) operations
□ One customer call or visit
□ One employee check-in

FINANCIAL CONTROL:
□ Verify all bank account transfers completed — you have sole/primary access
□ Review cash on hand and current checking account balance
□ Identify next 30 days of payables — any immediate cash needs?
□ Confirm first payroll date and ensure payroll funding is in place
□ Set up accounting software access — run a quick P&L for the last month

OPERATIONAL TRIAGE:
□ Complete transition checklist with seller (if still in transition period)
□ Identify any active customer issues or escalations requiring immediate attention
□ Verify all critical systems are operational (POS, scheduling, CRM, website)
□ Check for any upcoming contract renewals, inspections, or license deadlines
□ Confirm next scheduled employee shifts are covered

TEAM INTRODUCTION:
□ Hold an all-hands meeting — introduce yourself, share your background briefly, acknowledge the team's role in the business's success
□ State clearly: "My first priority is to listen and learn before making any changes"
□ One-on-one with each employee or department head this week
□ Ask each employee: "What's working well? What's your biggest frustration? What would you do differently?"

CUSTOMER STABILITY:
□ Email all active customers announcing ownership transition (professional, brief, positive tone)
□ Call top 10 customers personally — introduce yourself, ask for their continued business
□ Check for any open orders, pending deliveries, or outstanding customer issues

FINANCIAL BASELINE:
□ Complete a full month of financial review — match P&L to bank statements
□ Verify accounts receivable aging — initiate collections on overdue accounts
□ Review all recurring expenses and subscriptions — identify any to cut or renegotiate
□ Understand cash flow timing: when does cash come in vs. go out?
□ Compare actual performance to what was represented in due diligence
□ Build a simple 90-day cash flow forecast

CUSTOMER DEEP DIVE:
□ Complete personal outreach to all customers over $[THRESHOLD] annually
□ Document each top customer: relationship strength, growth potential, risk level
□ Identify: which customers are at risk? Which have untapped growth potential?
□ Review open proposals and pipeline — anything close to closing?

EMPLOYEE ASSESSMENT:
□ Complete one-on-ones with all full-time employees
□ Observe each role in action — understand what they actually do vs. job title
□ Identify: who are the informal leaders? Who do others go to with questions?
□ Identify: who might be flight risks? Who is most invested in the new ownership?
□ Review any pending performance issues the prior owner flagged

VENDOR RELATIONSHIPS:
□ Call or visit top 5 vendors by spend
□ Understand any volume commitments, pricing agreements, or service terms
□ Identify single-source dependencies — are there vendors you can't easily replace?
□ Ask each vendor: "Is there anything about our account I should know?"

OPERATIONS AUDIT:
□ Spend time in every operational role — sales, service delivery, back-office
□ Document your observations: what's running well? What seems inefficient?
□ Identify the top 3 operational bottlenecks
□ Identify the top 3 quick wins that could improve revenue or reduce costs immediately

FINANCIAL ANALYSIS:
□ Complete first full month's financial close under your ownership
□ Compare to prior periods — where do you see differences?
□ Identify key financial KPIs: revenue per employee, gross margin by service/product, customer LTV
□ Build a 12-month financial model with conservative, base, and optimistic scenarios
□ Review all debt obligations — confirm payment schedules

STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT:
□ Complete a SWOT analysis based on your direct observation (not the seller's narrative)
□ Identify your top 3 strategic priorities for the next 12 months
□ Rank potential improvements by: impact × ease of implementation
□ Research top 2–3 competitors — how does your business compare?
□ Identify the single biggest growth opportunity that a previous owner missed or underinvested in

TEAM DEVELOPMENT:
□ Hold first formal team meeting under your ownership — share observations (positive) and your initial priorities
□ Identify 1–2 high-potential employees for informal mentorship
□ Address any lingering uncertainty about roles or the future openly
□ Begin developing a simple performance review framework if one doesn't exist

QUICK WIN IMPLEMENTATION:
□ Implement 1–2 operational improvements identified in Month 1 (choose low-risk, high-visibility items)
□ Document the change, communicate clearly, and measure the impact
□ Fix any customer experience gaps you observed in Month 1

CHANGE MANAGEMENT:
□ Present your 90-day findings to the team — what you observed, what's changing, what's not
□ Implement your top 3 operational improvements with clear communication about why
□ Assign clear ownership for each change to a specific employee
□ Set measurable targets for each change: how will you know it's working?

GROWTH INITIATIVES:
□ Begin your top 1–2 revenue growth initiatives (customer outreach, new service launch, marketing investment)
□ Set a specific 90-day target for each initiative
□ Track weekly and adjust

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT:
□ Establish your monthly financial review routine (budget vs. actual)
□ Set up management reporting dashboard (or update existing)
□ Evaluate any financing needs for growth or working capital
□ Complete any post-closing purchase price adjustments (working capital true-up)

PEOPLE:
□ Complete first formal performance conversations for all direct reports
□ Confirm key employee retention — address any compensation concerns now
□ Begin hiring if any roles need to be added for growth

90-DAY REVIEW:
□ Compare business performance at Day 90 to Day 1 baseline
□ Document: what you got right, what surprised you, what you'd do differently
□ Revise your 12-month plan based on 90 days of direct ownership
□ Celebrate progress with the team — publicly recognize contributions

LOOKING AHEAD:
□ Set 6-month and 12-month milestones
□ Identify the next 3 things you want to change or improve
□ Schedule quarterly business reviews with your accountant and attorney
□ Build your advisory network: join your local chamber, industry association, or peer group