How do I hand over my hockey pro shop’s team ordering relationships?
Write down who orders for each team, what they buy, when they decide and how they like to be contacted. Then introduce your buyer in person or by call, ideally before the ordering season starts, so the relationship moves to them with your support rather than disappearing.
Begin with a simple account file for each team, club or league. Include the contact, the usual items, the order timing, sizing quirks, pricing arrangements and anything promised informally. Add notes on how the contact prefers to hear from you. Much of this knowledge sits in your head, and a buyer cannot use it until it is written. Include the people who sign off on orders as well as the coaches and managers, because they are often different.
Plan the introductions around the calendar. Team orders tend to cluster before a season begins, so a handover during that window is risky for both of you. Offer to attend the first order meeting, make the call alongside your buyer, and be open about the sale. Contacts usually prefer hearing it from you. If a team has ordered jerseys through you for years, say so, and show what you did to earn that loyalty.
Finally, agree on how long you will stay involved and what that support looks like. Ask your lawyer how to document it, and ask your accountant how any open orders and deposits should be settled between you and the buyer. Revisit the plan once the first season under the new owner is under way, and be ready to answer questions.
Key takeaways
- Document each team’s contact, items, timing and informal promises.
- Time introductions around the ordering season, and join the first meeting.
- Agree in writing how long you will help after the sale.
Related reading
15 pages on the same subject, grouped by topic.
Buying
- Expert answerWhat happens to team orders and league accounts when you buy a hockey shop?
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Succession
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Sources
This answer is checked against primary sources. Links were last confirmed on the dates shown.
- 01Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentWhat is succession planning?
- 02Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentAdvice for succession planning - Articles and tools
- 03Canadian Federation of Independent BusinessResearch dataSuccession Tsunami: Preparing for a decade of small business transitions
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