HandoffThe co-pilot seat was empty.
Until now.
Handoff architects the exit before you need one — mapping equity transfers, stress-testing ownership structures, and grooming the leaders who carry what you built.
of family businesses fail to survive an unplanned ownership transition
only 30% of family businesses survive to the second generation
average time a real succession plan takes to execute properly
business owners who started their succession architecture with Handoff
Run Your Succession Diagnostic
See exactly where your plan stands — in 3 minutes.
What happens to my company
if I die tomorrow?
SCENARIO A — NO PLAN
68%
of businesses with no succession plan liquidate within 18 months of an unplanned owner death. Average estate loss: $2.3M in forced-sale discount.
SCENARIO B — PARTIAL PLAN
41%
survive with partial plans, but 71% of those face IRS disputes, family litigation, or key employee departure within 24 months.
SCENARIO C — FULL ARCHITECTURE
89%
of businesses with a complete succession architecture intact transfer ownership without a revenue disruption exceeding 8%.
MEDIAN BUSINESS VALUE AT RISK
$4.8M
Average enterprise value destroyed in unplanned exits among manufacturing businesses with 20–150 employees.
HANDOFF PROTOCOL
A Handoff succession architecture installs a decision-ready ownership map before it's needed — legal documents executed, leadership transitions pre-negotiated, and buy-sell agreements funded. The difference between Scenario A and Scenario C is paperwork. We do the paperwork.
Can I transfer ownership
without destroying my tax position?
GRANTOR RETAINED ANNUITY TRUST
GRAT
Transfers future appreciation out of your estate with minimal gift tax. Effective for businesses expected to grow 15%+ annually.
INTENTIONALLY DEFECTIVE GRANTOR TRUST
IDGT
Freeze business value for estate purposes while shifting growth to heirs. Can eliminate capital gains on the sale entirely.
FUNDED BUY-SELL AGREEMENT
Buy-Sell
Contractually pre-sets the ownership transfer price and mechanism. Prevents IRS valuation disputes that average $380K in legal fees.
AVERAGE TAX SAVINGS — HANDOFF CLIENTS
$1.2M
Average federal estate and capital gains tax savings for clients who engage Handoff 5+ years before their planned exit.
HANDOFF PROTOCOL
The IRS doesn't wait for you to be ready. Handoff works alongside your CPA and estate attorney to stack the right instruments in the right sequence — so the business transfers on your terms, not the government's. The tools exist. The strategy is in knowing when to use them.
Run Your Succession Diagnostic
A structured 3-minute readiness assessment. No account. No sales call. Just your score.
How do I choose
between my children?
COMPETENCY ASSESSMENT
Capability
Structured 90-day evaluation protocol: operational decision-making, financial literacy, employee authority. Not a gut feeling — a scorecard.
EQUITY vs. CONTROL SPLIT
≠ Equal
Ownership and management authority don't have to match. Heirs can share equity while one leads operations — protecting fairness and the business.
OUTSIDE LEADERSHIP BRIDGE
CEO Hire
When no child is ready, a professional CEO preserves value while the next generation earns authority. 63% of second-gen leaders outperform after 3 years with a bridge.
FAMILY CONFLICT — LEADING CAUSE
#1
Family conflict is the #1 reason succession plans fail — ahead of tax issues, market conditions, and financing. Handoff installs governance before the conflict starts.
HANDOFF PROTOCOL
This question doesn't have a right answer — it has a right process. Handoff facilitates the structured conversations that most families avoid until it's too late. We separate the Thanksgiving table from the boardroom by building governance that makes the decision before the founder is gone.
How long does a real
succession actually take?
DIAGNOSTIC
30–60 days
Ownership map, leadership audit, tax exposure analysis, and readiness score.
ARCHITECTURE
6–18 months
Legal structure, equity instruments, buy-sell agreements, and governance documents.
LEADERSHIP INSTALL
1–3 years
Successor development, authority transfer cadence, and shadow-CEO protocol.
STRESS TEST
Ongoing
Annual war-game simulations: death, disability, divorce, dispute, departure.
TRANSFER
Year 5–10
Execution of the transition with zero-surprise ownership change.
⚠ DELAY COST ANALYSIS
Every year without a plan costs an estimated $240K in lost optionality.
Tax windows close. Key employees leave. Valuations shift. The plan that works today may not work in three years.
Find out where you actually stand.
The diagnostic maps your ownership structure, leadership depth, and tax exposure against 47 risk factors — and returns a readiness score with a prioritized action list.
3 min
To complete
47
Risk factors
100%
Confidential
No account required · No sales call · Instant results