Setting Up Your Business To Run Without You
- Bill Oelrich
- 50 minutes ago
- 4 min read
Author, Bill Oelrich, is a Business Advisor with The Resultants.
Most business owners don’t wake up one day and say, “Today’s the day I’m out.”
Transitions — whether it’s a sale, succession, or stepping back from day-to-day — don’t happen overnight.
But the mistake I see all too often is that people wait until they’re ready to leave before they start preparing to leave.
By then, it’s too late to optimize. You can’t go back and fix the last three years.
That’s where the idea of the 1,000-day shift comes in.
It’s a three-year runway to prepare for transition by tightening up your financials and setting your business up to run without you.
Why 1,000 Days?
The number isn’t random. Most lenders, investors, and potential successors want to see three years of clean, consistent, profitable operations before they’ll fund or finalize a transition.
That’s because every business transition — whether you're selling to a third party, handing it off to a family member, or promoting someone from within — rests on three legs:
A willing seller
A willing buyer (or successor)
A financial mechanism to make the deal happen
And here’s the part most owners don’t realize: the value of your business isn’t just about what you think your business is worth. Or what others are willing to pay for it.
That number is often capped by the lending institution behind the scenes. They look at your past three years, judge your profitability, and assess whether the business can support debt payments.
If your financials don’t “cash flow” at the price you’re hoping for, the bank won’t fund the deal. Then you're either discounting heavily, financing it yourself, or watching the deal fall apart.
The 1,000-day window gives you time to fix the gaps and tell a better story with your numbers.
What the Numbers Are Really Telling You
Your financials are the scoreboard.
But they don’t tell the whole story. They point to it.
If your profitability is low or inconsistent, it might be a pricing issue.
If your expenses are out of line, it might mean your team structure is off.
If cashflow is tight, maybe you're still running personal expenses through the business to reduce tax (and in the process, shrinking your valuation.)
Messy numbers often mean messy systems.
And messy systems don’t work without the owner’s involvement.
That’s where the real work starts. And it takes time to fix.
What It Takes to Set Up Your Business to Run Without You
If you want to separate yourself from the business without it falling apart, three things need to happen:
1. Decouple the Owner from the Business
Most small and mid-sized businesses are built around the owner. That’s fine. Until it isn’t.
A business that needs you every day is a business at risk.
During the 1,000 days, your job is to get out of the center:
Transfer key responsibilities to others, including strategic decisions, client relationships, and financial oversight.
Make sure your customers interact with your business — not just with you. If you're the reason people buy, you’re also the risk.
Build the muscle of delegation. If you’re still approving every hire and every invoice, your company’s stuck.
Buyers want confidence that the business can thrive without you. So do successors. And frankly — so should you.
2. Tighten Up the Numbers
This is where most transitions get ugly.
Not because the business is failing. But because the books don’t reflect what’s actually happening.
For the last 1,000 days, treat your financials like they’re under the microscope. Because they will be.
Stop running personal expenses through the company to lower taxes. It might save you a few bucks now, but it’ll cost you multiples later.
Make sure your pricing supports the real cost of doing business. This means paying for a strong leadership team, healthy wages, and reinvestment.
Benchmark your expenses against industry norms. If your costs are out of line, buyers will either discount or walk.
Your numbers are the evidence. They prove that your business model works — or doesn’t.
3. Strengthen the Operating System
Your operating system is the structure that keeps everything moving (especially when you’re not in the room).
A business operating system gives you rhythm, discipline, and visibility. It helps your team:
Make decisions without waiting on you — because roles, goals, and processes are clear.
Stay aligned on priorities — through dashboards, scorecards, and weekly check-ins that track progress.
Solve issues quickly and consistently — without drama, micromanagement, or relying on the memories of key people.
Installing an operating system is like shifting from flying by gut feel to flying with instruments.
Even if you never plan to sell, building a business that can run without you creates freedom.
Don’t wait until you’re “ready to exit” to start preparing.
Start working on the health of your business now.
Even if you never sell, what you’ll end up with is a business that’s easier to run, more enjoyable to own, and more resilient to change.
If you want help putting those pieces in place — that’s what we do. We work alongside owners to install systems and leadership structures that create healthier, more profitable, more sustainable companies.
Not sure where to begin? Let's connect.
