Updated: December 2025
The purpose of this toolkit is to help small business owners think about the future of their business after their time in the business has come to an end. Whether you hope to transfer the business to family members, business partners, or others, this transition can produce complex legal and tax consequences if not planned properly. This toolkit will help you ask the right questions as you develop your business’ succession plan.
The Small Business Succession Planning Toolkit is the result of a collaboration between Communities Rise, the City of Seattle’s Office of Economic Development, Perkins Coie, and Apex Law Group. We would like to thank the City of Seattle’s Office of Economic Development for their partnership and resources to create and update this toolkit. We would also like to thank the following attorneys who graciously provided their time and knowledge:
- Nisha Nariya, Perkins Coie
- Peter Smith, Apex Law Group
- Tara Vitale, Apex Law Group
- Scott Wallace, Perkins Coie