Creative succession strategies can keep area businesses alive

September 24, 2026

Kris Fuehr is the founder of Liberty Lake-base Paulson Exchange, a business transition firm serving business owners and buyers in Washington and Idaho. She works with small and midsize businesses on valuation, succession planning, and ownership transitions.

| Paulson Exchange

Across our region, businesses are changing hands. While 350,000 U.S. baby boomers attempt to sell their businesses annually, the Inland Northwest alone holds a pool of 49,000 baby boomer-owned businesses facing transition. However, local and national success rates hover between 20% and 30%. When viable businesses simply close, long-time community legacies can disappear with them.