Be creative and keep an open mind. Don't rush into what could be one of the most important decisions in your business. You must also be prepared to lose your good employees. Make sure you know what they know. You may have to perform them yourself or train someone else to do so.
Employees get sick, take vacations, become disabled, retire, etc.
Treat them right, be fair, and induce loyalty by your actions, compensation and other incentives. Make sure your administrative work is in good shape. A high percentage of businesses that get in trouble arrive at that point because of failure to properly withhold employee taxes and other employer payments. Workers compensation and unemployment insurance payments must be kept up to date. What could be worse than an injured or terminated employee coupled with administrative or tax problems.