Navigating an acquisition can seem daunting, especially when it comes to maintaining your cherished company culture. There are so many stories floating around our industry about a company selling and then having its culture gutted. In fact, we previously sold a plumbing business and had that exact thing happen to us. So, when we built our new business from the ground up, we prioritized building and nurturing a distinct culture that has helped us recruit, retain, and grow quickly.

As co-owners of Paradise Home Services, when we decided to sell our business, one of the most important things to us was selling to a company that would help us preserve our special culture, which we had worked so hard to build. We were very picky about the company we chose to sell to, and we did a lot of vetting before we made a final decision.

We ultimately chose to sell to Leap Partners because not only did they tell us they were committed to preserving our company culture, but the other owners I spoke to who sold to Leap confirmed they delivered on their promises. Our experience so far with Leap proves that it is possible to preserve and even enhance company culture after selling. We discovered that our culture persisted, and it flourished in unexpected ways.

Day-to-Day Operations

The impact of the acquisition on our day-to-day operations has been remarkably positive. From the perspective of our team members, there has been minimal disruption. We attribute this to the retention of our entire team throughout the transition. By having honest conversations from the start, we were able to keep our team excited and engaged in the change. In fact, they were excited about joining a larger company and were eager to finally get help in such areas as accounting, IT, HR, marketing, and operations. Our team has been empowered and freed up to focus more on delivering exceptional service to our customers while feeling their roles are just as valued and respected as ever.

Culture Preservation

Our unique culture sets us apart in the industry — from our iconic Hawaiian shirt uniform to workplace incentives and monthly cash prize meetings, we’ve cultivated an environment of fun, high performance, and appreciation. Our highlight every month is our companywide meeting featuring a “Spin the Wheel” game. This game gives our team a chance to be recognized for the hard work they put in each and every day. Leap Partners has fully embraced and supported these initiatives, recognizing their role in preserving our company’s integrity and fostering employee engagement. In fact, we are now able to share and learn from the other Leap owners how they create fun, engaging, and motivating workplaces.

Career Development

The integration with Leap Partners has opened up exciting opportunities for career development within our organization. Through initiatives like the Rising Leader program, spearheaded by Leap’s leadership, our employees have access to personalized coaching and training. In this program, the rising leaders learn the ins-and-outs of the business, get to share best practices with other leaders across the company, and learn how to successfully run a branch. This not only provides professional growth but also creates a sense of belonging and investment in the company’s future. This has created networking opportunities for employees to expand their connections and has ultimately strengthened our company’s culture and future.

In conclusion, we feel that, if preserving your company’s culture is a top priority, who you choose to sell to is the most important decision you can make. I hope our experience with Leap Partners helps provide assurance that preserving your culture is possible. With the right partner, selling not only can preserve their company culture but can elevate it to new heights, unlocking opportunities for growth. At Paradise Home Services, we all have renewed excitement and feel as though we are reaching a new level of limitless potential.