When a Harris County business owner dies, the company cannot hit pause. Payroll, vendor orders, customer deadlines, and tax filings keep moving. If you are the executor or a family member stepping in, you need a practical plan that keeps the doors open while you work through probate. With the right steps, you protect value, avoid breaches of contract, and prevent a fire sale.
Stabilize Operations During The First Two Weeks
You should identify who has day-to-day authority right now. Confirm signers on bank accounts, point-of-sale access, payroll permissions, and vendor portals. If the company uses an operating agreement or bylaws, read the succession clauses that name an interim manager. Change two-factor authentication to a phone you control, then document the change. Call the top five customers and the top five vendors with a short, confident message about continuity. Calm voices at the start keep credit lines open and purchase orders flowing.
Secure Legal Authority Without Delays
In Texas, “independent administration” lets an executor act without repeated court approval. If the will requests independence, file in Harris County probate court immediately and obtain letters testamentary. For a living-trust plan, the successor trustee already has authority; present the trust certificate to banks and vendors. Either way, carry certified copies of your authority and a one-page letter on company letterhead naming you as the contact. People cooperate faster when they see clean paperwork.
Map Cash, Contracts, And Critical Deadlines
Create a 30-day cash forecast: beginning balances, expected receivables, payroll cycles, rent, insurance, loan payments, and recurring SaaS fees. List contracts with delivery dates, cancellation penalties, and auto-renew clauses. Put tax dates on the calendar—sales/use tax, payroll filings, and franchise tax. Small missed deadlines snowball into liens and service interruptions; a simple spreadsheet prevents avoidable fires.
Keep Employees, Customers, And Lenders In The Loop
Staff want to know if paychecks will clear and whether benefits remain intact. Share a brief weekly update and invite private questions. Customers need realistic delivery dates; do not overpromise. Lenders and equipment lessors appreciate early notice and a copy of your authority; many will extend interest-only terms for sixty to ninety days if you ask. Clear, steady communication buys time to make good decisions.
Decide Whether To Run, Restructure, Or Sell
Not every business should continue forever. Evaluate margins, backlog, and management depth. If the company is healthy, keep operating with a simple approval matrix for purchases and discounts. If cash is tight, consider a limited product line or temporary pause on low-margin work. If a buyer has already shown interest, assemble financials and a key-asset list so the estate can sell at a fair price rather than liquidate under pressure.
Clean Up Formation Documents And Ownership
You cannot transfer what you cannot describe. Reconcile the cap table, membership ledger, and any phantom equity or options. File overdue annual reports and update the registered agent so state notices do not bounce. For family-owned entities, confirm community-property interests and survivorship language to avoid last-minute disputes at closing. Title clarity prevents buyers and banks from getting cold feet.
Protect Intellectual Property And Customer Data
Change passwords for code repositories, CRMs, and cloud storage. Confirm who owns trademarks, domains, and licenses, then renew anything near expiration. If you outsource IT, lock down administrator credentials and rotate keys. Back up financials, contracts, and customer records with a simple folder structure so your CPA and counsel can find everything fast.
Document Every Dollar
Open an estate operating account or trust account for business flows. Deposit receivables there, and pay expenses from the same account to keep a clean trail. Save invoices, payroll reports, and bank statements. When it is time to account to heirs—or to a buyer—you will have the proof you need to justify decisions and distributions.
Build Your “If I Get Hit By A Bus” Binder
Even after you stabilize, prepare for continuity. Create a short playbook: bank contacts, insurance policies, license lists, vendor pricing, key SKUs, warranty procedures, and the top ten “how we do it” processes. Leave room for a successor to improve it. This binder protects the business if probate lasts longer than expected or if you need to take a week off to grieve.
Keep the company steady while you move the estate forward. For a Harris County probate plan that keeps operations running and value intact, call McCulloch & Miller, PLLC at (713) 936-9073 and get a step-by-step roadmap from day one through final distribution.