When someone buys an existing business, they also inherit its people. Those employees did not apply to work for the new owner. Many are uncertain about what the sale means for their jobs, their pay, and the way things have always been done.
Jay Sunde has walked into that situation more than once. He acquired two pool and spa companies after the 2008 housing crisis, and since 2009 he and his wife, Danielle, have launched, grown, and acquired preschools, daycares, and elementary schools across the Southeast. Their education platform now employs more than 70 team members. He says the first conversations with an inherited team shape how the rest of the ownership goes.
Assume nobody trusts you yet
Sunde’s starting point is that a new owner has no credibility with existing staff, regardless of their résumé. Trust comes from what the owner does in the first weeks, not from what they announce. He recommends showing up, listening more than talking, and following through on small commitments before asking for anything large.
Change less than you want to at first
New owners often arrive with a list of improvements. Sunde advises holding most of it back. Employees are watching for signs that the sale will disrupt their work, and a wave of early changes confirms that fear. He suggests identifying the few changes that genuinely cannot wait and saving the rest until the team understands who the new owner is.
Find the people who hold the business together
In every company, a handful of employees carry more knowledge than their titles suggest. They know which customers need extra attention, which vendors are reliable, and how problems actually get solved. Sunde says losing one of these people in the first months can do more damage than almost any other mistake. He encourages buyers to identify them early and make sure they feel valued.
Regulated industries raise the stakes
In childcare, staffing is tied directly to licensing requirements and the confidence of parents. Families notice when a familiar teacher leaves. Sunde points out that in this kind of business, staff retention is not only a morale issue. It affects enrollment, compliance, and reputation all at once.
Be clear about what is not changing
Uncertainty drives turnover. Sunde recommends that new owners tell employees plainly what will stay the same, such as pay schedules, key policies, and reporting lines, as soon as those decisions are made. Silence, he says, gets filled with rumor.
Drawing on eight years of mentoring founders and business buyers, Sunde sees the same pattern repeat. Buyers who treat the team as part of what they purchased, rather than an obstacle to their plans, tend to keep their best people and have a far easier first year.
Prepared by The Best Reputation | thebestreputation.com
