Overview

Centered on personal relationships

The immediacy, honesty, and direct feedback of personal relationships are what draw us to small businesses. We thrive in developing tightly knit teams and ruthlessly executing strategic growth plans. We feel that this is how to build a lasting competitive advantage in small businesses.

We want to invest the time to get to know you, to know your individual team members' talents and motivations, and ultimately to make sure customers are comfortable with us and the direction we're taking.
We want to invest the time to get to know you, to know your individual team members' talents and motivations, and ultimately to make sure customers are comfortable with us and the direction we're taking.

What We Do

We will take care of your people

The succession process that we undertake together must secure a future for your people and for the business that you created. Beyond continuity, we want to provide your team with future opportunities for development, advancement, and growth.

handshake

We will take care of you

By being open, honest, and direct with each other, we will arrive at a transaction that we will both feel good about. We can relieve some of the unnecessary burdens of ownership and shape a role that you enjoy and where you can make a meaningful contribution.

pie-chart-2

We put our money where our mouth is

We aren’t just managing other people’s money. We will all make meaningful personal investments in each business, and we will continue to make whatever investments are necessary to move the businesses forward. Our partners will tell you that we won’t hesitate to invest in the right people and equipment for the long-term.

growth

We only profit when the company and its employees profit

All of our compensation is tied to business performance. The first priority is making sure the company has the capital it needs for growth. We think like long-term owners, and we know that puts us at the end of the line on payday.

network

We value your continued leadership during the transition

We believe that as the company’s long-time leader, you are critical throughout the transition process for experience, security, and continuity. We will help create a plan that ensures that the business is secure, whether you prefer a quick or gradual transitioning, or if you would prefer an indefinite timeline.

What We Do

We will take care of your people

The succession process that we undertake together must secure a future for your people and for the business that you created. Beyond continuity, we want to provide your team with future opportunities for development, advancement, and growth.

handshake

We will take care of you

By being open, honest, and direct with each other, we will arrive at a transaction that we will both feel good about. We can relieve some of the unnecessary burdens of ownership and shape a role that you enjoy and where you can make a meaningful contribution.

pie-chart-2

We put our money where our mouth is

We aren’t just managing other people’s money. We will all make meaningful personal investments in each business, and we will continue to make whatever investments are necessary to move the businesses forward. Our partners will tell you that we won’t hesitate to invest in the right people and equipment for the long-term.

growth

We only profit when the company and its employees profit

All of our compensation is tied to business performance. The first priority is making sure the company has the capital it needs for growth. We think like long-term owners, and we know that puts us at the end of the line on payday.

network

We value your continued leadership during the transition

We believe that as the company’s long-time leader, you are critical throughout the transition process for experience, security, and continuity. We will help create a plan that ensures that the business is secure, whether you prefer a quick or gradual transitioning, or if you would prefer an indefinite timeline.

How We Do It

Diversity of perspectives

Our team has been on the front lines of dozens of businesses, and we know experts in more bizarre niches than we’d like to admit. We also leverage the brainpower of our management teams through the Woodlawn Executive Forum, where leaders from different companies share common issues over monthly videoconferences and quarterly meetings at each other’s facilities.

Enhanced organizational efficiency

We provide administrative and accounting support to free up owners and key managers to focus on more important, long-term opportunities. These extra resources can be directed toward new product development, calls into new markets, or other neglected projects that were frustratingly pushed to the bottom of the to-do list.

Focus on customer perspective

As they evolve, many organizations become too focused on themselves, what they do well, and what they’ve always done. We bring the same analytical approach to determining what customers want and what market demands we are best equipped to meet.

Clear communication

Communication is the lifeblood of any organization. We make sure that information technology and systems are sufficient for sound decision making. We help build interpersonal processes to establish clear expectations and to provide regular feedback to ensure that every member of the team is consistently marching in the same direction.

Balance and reinforce the team

Once a strategy is confirmed and properly communicated, we look for areas where we need to develop the team or add resources. The goal is the right balance of sales and marketing for growth, accounting and IT for risk management, and specialization and depth in operations for continued excellence and efficiency. This involves programs to develop employees and initiatives to identify and attract appropriate outside talent.

Tireless execution

We believe that focus and execution is far more important than brilliant strategy in small businesses. We bring the process and resources necessary to make sure that plans remain clear and well-communicated, that distractions and excuses are minimized, and that goals are met.