hiker hanging from a cliff

Don’t Leave Your Clients Hanging – An 8 Step Succession Plan Guide for Solopreneur Web Developers

The first WordCamp I ever attended was WordCamp Asheville, North Carolina. It holds a special place in my heart because that’s where I first realized that so many WP folks needed help with project management and decided to create The WP Project Manager’s Academy. I live in Greensboro, NC, roughly 2-3 hours from the areas where hurricane Helene struck a few days ago.

With the devastation that Helene has caused so close to my home, it made me start thinking about what I should do if I have no way to serve my clients. It certainly drives the point home that if you work alone in your own web development business, you need a succession plan in place in the event of unforeseen circumstances that incapacitate you or your business.

I am guilty of not having things properly in place and since this latest tragedy hit so close to home, I am taking steps to rectify that. Here is what I’ve found so far.

I polled several online web development groups, long-time agency owners, as well as ChatGPT for the best practices regarding succession plans. Here are the 8 steps I put together from that information.

Please note: I am not an attorney, this is not legal advice, and I highly recommended you consult one when creating your succession plan.

Step 1 – Take Care of the Things You Should be Doing Anyway

  • Keep your business assets and accounts separate from personal assets and accounts.
  • Maintain business insurance and ensure it includes business continuation coverage, if necessary.
  • Use a password manager that securely stores all login information for important tools, such as your website, social media accounts, banking, and client management systems.
  • Ensure all websites and relevant data are backed up regularly.
  • If you store any work-related files on your computer’s hard drive, consider a service like Backblaze that will back up your files in real time allowing access to them from any location at any time,

Note: I personally use Backblaze so I no longer need to worry about syncing my hard drive with my laptop or the cloud when travelling. Giving my credentials to my selected successor means they can get what they need from my hard drive as well. It’s affordable at $9 per month or $199 per year (at the time of this post).

  • Set up automatic payment systems for bills, hosting, domain renewals, and other recurring payments
  • Create (and maintain) detailed SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) for the key functions of your business, such as how to manage projects, client communication, finances, and vendor relationships.

Step 2 - Decide What Should Happen

Determine if you want the business to be:

  • sold,
  • transferred,
  • or wound down (closed completely)

Based on that decision, determine whether your clients should be:

  • Sold or transferred with the business or
  • Instructed to find a new provider

Step 3 - Select a Successor or Interim Manager

Choose a trusted individual or entity (could be a colleague, a family member, an industry peer, highly-trusted virtual assistant, or an attorney) who can take over the business temporarily or permanently.

Ensure the successor fully understands the following:

  • basic operations of the business
  • how to access important information (e.g., passwords, contracts, client information).

Tips from WordPress Developers

  • If you haven’t already done so, employ a central dashboard so all your client sites can be managed in one place. MainWP, ManageWP, and WP Umbrella are examples of such services.
  • If your designated successor is a family member, it might be helpful to give them power of attorney (with limits, if applicable) so they can access everything they may need on both a business and personal level.
  • Document your plugin stack and ensure the successor understands how to use them.

Step 4 - Create a Business Will or Succession Plan

Write a business will or succession plan (or get an attorney to help) that outlines who will take control of the business, how they should proceed, and any legal or financial matters that need to be addressed. At a minimum, this should include:

  • Successor Designation
  • Business Overview
  • Access to Business Assets
  • Client Communication Plan (with pre-written emails, if applicable)
  • Business Continuation Plan (sell, transfer, or wind down)
  • Legal and Financial Details
  • Distribution of Business Assets
  • Instructions for Winding Down the Business
  • Any Final Wishes

Step 5 - Create a Digital Dead Man’s Switch

A dead man’s switch (or dead person’s switch to be more accurate) is a mechanism or system that typically sends messages and/or secures assets if you haven’t “checked in” for a predetermined amount of time. There are a number of semi-automatic methods you could set up for free but using a service is the most fail safe.

This is especially important if you, like me, work from home and live alone. It might take a while for folks to know something has happened to me.

The most well-known service for this is Dead Man’s Switch (deadmansswitch.net).

Step 6 - Establish Legal and Financial Provisions

Work with an attorney to ensure your business structure (LLC, S-Corp, etc.) allows for a smooth transition.

Ensure your personal will and business will complement, and not conflict with, each other.

Step 7 - Establish a Communication Plan

Prepare a communication plan for clients, vendors, and employees (if applicable), explaining how operations will (or will not) continue in case of your death or incapacitation.

Draft email templates for your successor to use, explaining the situation to clients.

Step 8 - Conduct Regular Reviews

Schedule annual or semi-annual reviews of your contingency plan to make sure it reflects any changes in your business or personal circumstances.

Your attorney might also suggest additional legal or financial tasks to take care of. Of course, attorneys can be expensive but it is less so if you do some of the upfront work yourself. For example, you might ask ChatGPT to write a first draft of your Succession Plan and then have the attorney refine it.

Don't WAIT!

What happened in North Carolina, or some other tragedy, could easily happen to any of us at any time. That means, having a succession plan in place is not just an exercise in “what if” thinking—it’s a necessary safeguard for your business, your clients, and your legacy. Ensuring your business can survive and thrive without you (or be dissolved according to your wishes) is a critical step that every solopreneur should take seriously.

By following these eight steps and working with a legal professional, you can protect your business from chaos and ensure that your clients are well taken care of, even in your absence.

It’s important to remember, too, that a succession plan is not a set-it-and-forget-it document. It’s a living strategy that should evolve as your business grows and changes. Regularly reviewing and updating your plan will ensure that it stays relevant and effective. Ultimately, this approach will give you peace of mind, knowing that the business you’ve worked so hard to build is prepared for anything life throws your way.

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