If you are planning to transfer the ownership of your business — for reasons such as selling your business, transitioning leadership, or stepping away from management — Pike13 requires certain steps to ensure a smooth transition. Below is a comprehensive guide to help you transfer primary ownership within Pike13, as well as additional considerations for both the current and new owners.
Reasons You Might Transfer Primary Ownership
Transferring the primary ownership of your business on Pike13 is necessary in several scenarios, including:
- Selling Your Business: When the business is sold, the new owner will need access to all Pike13 administrative functions.
- Passing the Business to a New Manager or Successor: If you are transitioning out of an operational role but the business remains under the same company.
- Business Partnership Changes: When ownership shifts within business partnerships, one partner may become the new primary owner.
- Legal or Structural Changes: Business restructuring or ownership changes may require updating the primary ownership in Pike13.
- Error in Trial Site Creation: Perhaps you had someone else start your trial, and now they are tied to the Primary Owner role.
Steps to Transfer Ownership
1. Notify Pike13 of the Ownership Change
The current Primary Owner must send a written notice to Pike13 informing them of the ownership change. This email should be sent to help@pike13.com and must include:
- The name of the new Owner.
- The official date of the ownership transfer.
Pike13 will follow up with any additional steps and provide support to ensure a seamless transition. If you are still in a trial status, feel free to reach out to sales@pike13.com for assistance.
2. Change the Primary Owner in Pike13
The current Primary Owner will need to complete the ownership transfer within Pike13 by following these steps:
- Add the New Owner: First, the current Primary Owner must add the new owner as a staff member with the role of "Owner."
- Transfer Ownership: Once the new owner has been added, the current Primary Owner can go into the system and update the new owner’s role from "Owner" to "Primary Owner."
This effectively transfers the administrative rights of the business account to the new owner.
3. Revoke Staff Privileges (Optional)
If the outgoing Primary Owner will no longer be involved in the business, their staff privileges should be revoked. The new Primary Owner can do this by navigating to:
- Staff > Select the previous Primary Owner > Advanced Actions > Revoke Staff Privileges.
This ensures that the former owner no longer has access to the business’s account and client information.
4. Update the Business’s Credit Card for Billing
The new Primary Owner is responsible for updating the billing information associated with the Pike13 subscription:
- Go to Settings > Billing Info > Update Your Card to enter the new payment details.
- It’s also recommended to notify Pike13 of this update by emailing help@pike13.com, so they can ensure that the billing records are transferred appropriately.
5. Update Payment Processing
In addition to updating the billing information, the new owner may need to update or transfer the business's payment processing services:
- Contact the current merchant service provider to request an ownership change. This is important because credit card details are not stored in Pike13.
- If the new owner is setting up a new merchant account, this may require a transfer of stored payment data.
6. Rebranding Your Pike13 Site (Optional)
If the new owner wishes to rebrand the Pike13 site to reflect a change in the business’s identity, they can:
- Change the business name, logo, and color scheme directly in the Pike13 settings.
- If the new owner needs to change the site’s URL, they will need to contact help@pike13.com with the current and requested new URLs.
Additional Considerations
- Client Data: Ensure that client data and records are properly transferred and that any privacy policies remain intact.
- Communication: Notify your clients about the change in ownership, particularly if there are any changes to the business’s branding, services, or policies.
By following these steps, both the outgoing and incoming owners can ensure a smooth transfer of ownership, with minimal disruption to business operations. Should you encounter any issues during this process, the Pike13 support team is available to assist at every step.