# Keep It Texas > A free book in plain words to help Texas family and community-owned businesses stay in local hands: how to judge an offer, how to hand a business down, how to keep it local, and where to find help. Early draft — we're just getting started. Pages marked 'sketch' are outlines. We list and introduce; we do not broker deals or give legal, tax or investment advice. Nothing on this site is fictional data. The Watch and Opportunities pages are not live yet. Every page has a Markdown twin (same path, ending in .md). Chapters have an ID (KL-0000), a version, a last-checked date and sources. ## Machine-readable - [toc.json](https://keepittexas.org/toc.json): parts, chapters, IDs, HTML and Markdown paths - [sitemap.xml](https://keepittexas.org/sitemap.xml) ## Main pages - [Home](https://keepittexas.org/index.md): Start here. - [Contents](https://keepittexas.org/contents.md): Table of contents. - [Privacy](https://keepittexas.org/privacy.md): We do not track you. ## Part I: Why it matters - [KL-0101 What a town can lose](https://keepittexas.org/book/kl-0101.md): Our view: jobs, giving, and who answers the phone. (sketch) - [KL-0102 Who we are and what we will not do](https://keepittexas.org/book/kl-0102.md): We teach, we watch public records, we introduce. We do not broker or advise. (sketch) - [KL-0103 How to read this book](https://keepittexas.org/book/kl-0103.md): Every page has an ID, a date, and a Markdown copy for AI helpers. (sketch) ## Part II: Spot the fox - [KL-0201 Is this offer good for my town?](https://keepittexas.org/book/kl-0201.md): Five questions to ask about any offer, signs to look at twice, and what to do before you answer. (drafted) - [KL-0202 Questions to ask any buyer](https://keepittexas.org/book/kl-0202.md): A list you can print and bring to the table. (sketch) - [KL-0203 Reading the paperwork](https://keepittexas.org/book/kl-0203.md): Where the real promises hide in a letter of intent. (sketch) - [KL-0204 'Partner,' 'investment,' 'roll-up'](https://keepittexas.org/book/kl-0204.md): Friendly words that can hide a loss of control. (sketch) ## Part III: Hand it down in the family - [KL-0301 Start early](https://keepittexas.org/book/kl-0301.md): We think a handoff goes best when you start years ahead. (sketch) - [KL-0302 Write down how it runs](https://keepittexas.org/book/kl-0302.md): Write it down so someone else can run it. (sketch) - [KL-0303 Talking to the family](https://keepittexas.org/book/kl-0303.md): Who wants it, who does not, and what each one needs. (sketch) - [KL-0304 Fair is not always equal](https://keepittexas.org/book/kl-0304.md): Ways to treat the family fairly when the business cannot be split. (sketch) - [KL-0305 When no one in the family wants it](https://keepittexas.org/book/kl-0305.md): Your next choice can still be local. (sketch) ## Part IV: Keep it in the community - [KL-0401 Who might buy locally](https://keepittexas.org/book/kl-0401.md): Employees, a neighbor, a younger owner from the next county. (sketch) - [KL-0402 Workers who own: employee ownership](https://keepittexas.org/book/kl-0402.md): How employees can buy the business over time. (sketch) - [KL-0403 Co-ops and community-owned shops](https://keepittexas.org/book/kl-0403.md): When customers or townspeople own it together. (sketch) - [KL-0404 Local loans for local buyers](https://keepittexas.org/book/kl-0404.md): Banks, SBA-backed loans and seller notes. (sketch) - [KL-0405 Selling in pieces](https://keepittexas.org/book/kl-0405.md): Sell the building, the route, or the equipment to different locals. (sketch) - [KL-0406 The Opportunities board](https://keepittexas.org/opportunities.md): Coming: owner-posted businesses and local buyers. (coming) ## Part V: Grow your business - [KL-0501 Reading your numbers](https://keepittexas.org/book/kl-0501.md): Three numbers every owner should know. (sketch) - [KL-0502 Buying a small business: first steps](https://keepittexas.org/book/kl-0502.md): From 'I wonder' to a first conversation. (sketch) - [KL-0503 Starting from zero](https://keepittexas.org/book/kl-0503.md): Permits, tax numbers and the first customer. (sketch) - [KL-0504 Finding a mentor](https://keepittexas.org/book/kl-0504.md): A mentor who has done it before can save you years. (sketch) - [KL-0505 Hiring and keeping help](https://keepittexas.org/book/kl-0505.md): Good people are the real business. (sketch) ## Part VI: Stories: saved and lost - [KL-0601 What a story here will look like](https://keepittexas.org/book/kl-0601.md): Coming: true stories, told in order. (sketch) - [KL-0602 How we write a story](https://keepittexas.org/book/kl-0602.md): Our rules: facts, sources, consent, no shaming. (sketch) ## Part VII: The Watch - [KL-0701 The Watch](https://keepittexas.org/watch.md): Coming: a look at public records for outside owners. (coming) - [KL-0702 What the Watch will look at](https://keepittexas.org/book/kl-0702.md): Public records that can show a change of owner. (sketch) - [KL-0703 How to read a signal](https://keepittexas.org/book/kl-0703.md): A signal is a reason to ask a question. (sketch) - [KL-0704 What a signal is not](https://keepittexas.org/book/kl-0704.md): Not proof, not a verdict, not advice. (sketch) ## Part VIII: Resources - [KL-0801 Where to get help](https://keepittexas.org/resources.md): Small business advisers, SCORE mentors, SBA-backed loans, employee-ownership help, chambers. (drafted) - [KL-0802 Loans for buyers](https://keepittexas.org/book/kl-0802.md): How loans for buying a business usually work. (sketch) - [KL-0803 Employee-ownership help](https://keepittexas.org/book/kl-0803.md): Where owners and workers can learn more. (sketch) - [KL-0804 Plain-words glossary](https://keepittexas.org/book/kl-0804.md): Fox, ESOP, letter of intent, earn-out, and more. (sketch)