About the writer
I’m Ron Diver.
I own and operate Puget Bindery in Kent, Washington. I write Operator Field Notes for people buying, running, and handing on a small business.
I joined Puget in 2017 to learn the business and bought it in 2019. Working in the shop first was a condition the sellers set for the sale.
That experience is a starting point for this letter: what do you need to understand about a business before you take responsibility for it?
01 / The work
From a working
bindery floor.
Puget is a trade bindery founded in 1919. We bind and finish work for printers and publishers across the Pacific Northwest, running two shifts. My focus is on growing the business and improving how it runs.
I also build software we use in the shop, starting with customer requests, quoting, and production. The business gives that work a practical home and a place to test the next improvement.
Visit Puget Bindery02 / The letter
What has to
carry forward.
Equipment, people, customer relationships, and cash all matter when a business changes hands. I write about how to understand that work before a purchase, and what it asks of the person who takes over.
The letter is for searchers pursuing a first acquisition, owners growing through acquisition, and owners thinking about a sale. I’m also looking for businesses to acquire. The questions in these pages are ones I want answered myself.
These letters lead toward Buy the Shop, my first print publication, now in preparation. It examines the machines, people, and finances behind a small industrial business.
Read the opening letterA note from Ron
Have a business in mind?
If you’re thinking about what comes next for your business, or know an owner I should meet, I’d welcome a conversation in confidence.