The Dealership Transfer Readiness Scorecard
Will Your Family Still Own the Dealership After the OEM Weighs In?
You've built it. Your son or daughter is ready to step into equity. But OEM approval of a transfer has never been harder to secure in advance. Find out where your succession plan really stands in under 5 minutes.
12 questions · 5 minutes · Instant, personalized readiness score
The Rules Changed. Most Succession Plans Didn't.
Many dealer principals assume the factory will approve their chosen successor when the time comes. Today, that assumption is a risk your family can't afford.
No Pre-Approval in Place
Without a successor approved before death, disability, or retirement, the OEM holds the final say at the worst possible moment.
An Heir Not Yet "Factory Ready"
Your child may run the store well, but GM and Ford measure capital, experience, and performance on their own terms.
Family Tension Under the Surface
Siblings in and out of the business, spouses, and fairness questions can quietly derail even the best legal documents.
Plans That Sit in a Drawer
A buy-sell agreement drafted years ago may no longer match your dealership, your family, or current OEM expectations.
What Your Scorecard Reveals
In about five minutes, you'll receive a clear readiness score across the five areas that most often determine whether a family transfer is approved, delayed, or denied.
- ✓ OEM approval and successor qualification
- ✓ Equity transition and ownership structure
- ✓ Leadership readiness of the next generation
- ✓ Family alignment and communication
- ✓ Contingency planning for death or disability
Frank Warren
Seabrook Wessex Group
Why This Scorecard Is Different
Your Dealership Is One of the Books Your Family's Story Is Written In
I grew up in a family that owned a multi-generational business. I know firsthand that the business is never run in isolation. It's run in the context of the family: the dinner-table conversations, the expectations between siblings, the hopes a father or mother holds for the next generation.
Years of advising business owners, and a genuine passion for the families behind them, have taught me that a successful transfer protects more than a franchise. It protects the next chapter of your family's story.
That's why this scorecard looks at your family as carefully as it looks at your paperwork.
Take the Quiz NowWhat Dealer Principals Are Saying
"I thought our plan was solid. The scorecard showed me we had no path to factory approval if something happened to me tomorrow. That was a wake-up call."
Dealer Principal, Ford Store, Midwest
"Frank understood that my daughter's future and her brothers' feelings mattered as much as the numbers. Nobody else had asked about that."
Second-Generation Owner, GM Dealership
"Five minutes gave us a clear list of gaps to close. We finally started the conversation with our OEM instead of waiting."
Family Dealer Group, Southeast
Know Your Score Before the Factory Does
Take the free Dealership Transfer Readiness Scorecard and get an instant, personalized view of how prepared your family is for a smooth, approved transition.
Start Your Free Quiz
Confidential. Your answers are never shared with your OEM or anyone else.