Insights We’ve Gathered From Hundreds of Conversations Across Western Canada
We speak every week with owners across Alberta, BC, and Saskatchewan. These are owners who have built multi-million-dollar companies with their own hands and leadership. Over time, we started noticing something. Most owners don’t have a single “aha moment” where they decide they are ready to step back. It rarely happens that way.
Instead, it shows up slowly. A few small signs. A few questions that stay in your mind longer than they used to. A sense that things are shifting a little.
Sometimes it is nothing more than feeling worn out at the end of the week. Sometimes it is wondering what life might look like with more room for family, travel, or that ’70 Chevelle sitting in your garage. For some, it is seeing friends or peers transition out of their roles and beginning to wonder when the time will be right for you.
We have heard these themes again and again. Below are the six most common signs owners recognize in themselves when they are entering the early stages of a transition.
1. The business may now need something different than what built it
Many owners tell us that the company is still healthy, but the next chapter seems like it will require a different style than the one they enjoy. In the early years, you handled everything. Customers. Deals. People. Problems. That hands-on approach is often what made the business successful.
Later on, the business may benefit from different strengths. Updated systems. Tighter processes. New technology. Expansion into new regions. None of this means you have done anything wrong. It is simply the natural evolution of a company.
When you start to see that the next stage of growth might require a style of leadership you enjoy less, it often sparks the first real conversation about transition. This is rarely about ability. It is usually about energy, satisfaction, and what feels right at this stage of life.
2. The desire for a different rhythm of life gets stronger
A recurring theme we hear is this. Owners say they are not burnt out, but they feel the weight of being the final decision-maker more than they used to. After 20 or 30 years of carrying that responsibility, you may find yourself wanting fewer urgent fires and a bit more freedom in your schedule.
You still care deeply about the people. You still care about the customers. But the idea of stepping back starts to feel like relief, not loss.
This is not about “being done.” It is about wanting a healthier pace and a new season of life after decades of hard work.
3. It becomes smart to take some chips off the table
We hear this from owners in fabrication, industrial services, HVAC, transportation, specialty trades, and many other sectors across Prince George, Burnaby, Calgary, Saskatoon, and the surrounding communities. You have spent years pouring everything back into the business. New equipment. New hires. More inventory. Growth.
For many owners, most of their personal wealth now sits inside one company. At some point, you may feel it is wise to secure some of that value. Not because you are worried. Not because you are stepping away tomorrow. But because it is responsible. It protects your family and creates stability for the future.
This is often the moment when exit planning stops being emotional and starts being practical.
4. The business is doing well, which makes this the right time to think ahead
Most owners assume transition planning happens during difficult years. In reality, most owners quietly begin thinking about it during strong years.
Sales are steady. The team is capable. The business feels predictable. You feel in control.
These are the best conditions for making long-term decisions. Transitions done during calm periods are smoother. You have time. You have options. You can choose the right successor and plan the handover in a way that protects your people and your reputation.
Planning from a position of strength gives you far more control over the future.
5. You start thinking about the company without your name on the door
This is the clearest sign we hear in our conversations. Owners start picturing someone else leading with the same care they have brought to the business. You think about the employees who rely on the company. The customers who have trusted you for decades. The culture you built. The reputation you earned.
When you start imagining someone else carrying that forward, the conversation stops being about “selling.” It becomes about stewardship. It becomes about choosing the right people to build on what you created.
6. You have a strong team, but no natural successor who can take on the whole business
This comes up in many of our conversations. You may have a great team and a reliable GM who keeps things steady day to day. They are a big part of why the business works. But when you look at the full picture, you may not see someone who can realistically take over the entire company with the financial backing, broad experience, and personal risk required to own it.
Owners often put it in plain terms:
- “My GM is excellent, but stepping into full ownership is a different job.”
- “My team is committed, but they aren’t in a position to personally guarantee loans or buy me out.”
- “I don’t want my retirement tied to someone who isn’t ready to carry the whole thing.”
These aren’t criticisms. They are practical realities. Most employees, even very strong ones, aren’t set up to take on the full operational and financial weight of ownership.
When you look around and see great people but no natural successor who can assume the entire role, it often becomes clear that an outside transition may provide the most stability for both you and the team you’ve built.
Moving forward with intention
A good transition does not happen quickly. It takes time. The owners who get the best outcomes are the ones who start thinking ahead—long before they feel pressure. You want space to weigh your options, talk with your family, and choose a successor whose values fit the company.
At Salt & Soil, we speak with owners across Western Canada who are beginning to feel ready for a different rhythm in life while still wanting the business to continue in capable hands. Many run long-standing industrial, commercial, and specialty service companies that matter to the communities they serve.
Our role is to match strong companies with operators who respect the history, the people, and the culture that already exist. You built the foundation. Our job is to help carry it forward with the same care.