The most important question for any business owner is not what the business is worth. It is what you actually need from it.
Most owner-managers have a rough number in their head — what a sale might achieve, what they might walk away with. Far fewer have worked through what they and their family genuinely need from a transaction to be financially secure for the rest of their lives. Those are often different figures, and understanding that difference changes how you think about everything from deal structure to timing.
That calculation is where we start. Before valuations, before heads of terms, before any formal process — we work through your personal financial picture in detail. What does life look like after the business? What income do you need? What does your estate look like once the proceeds land? What are the tax implications, and how can they be planned around? What happens if the deal takes longer than expected, or comes in below your target?
Having clear answers to those questions means you can go into any transaction with confidence about what you need — and what you can afford to flex on.
Working alongside other advisers
Business sales and exits involve a range of professionals: corporate finance advisers, accountants, solicitors and others. Our role is on the personal financial planning side. We work well alongside those teams and are used to coordinating where it is useful to do so, but our focus is always on the owner’s personal position rather than the transaction itself.
Personal financial planning during the business years
Many of the clients we work with come to us before any exit is in view. Pension planning, personal investments, protection — these are worth addressing throughout your time running the business, not just when a sale is on the horizon. Employer pension contributions in particular are one of the most tax-efficient ways to extract value from a business, and are often underused.
We work with a small number of business owners. It is not the largest part of what we do, but it is one we take seriously — because the stakes are high and the window for good planning is finite.
Ready to talk?
Call us on 028 9590 9717 or email hello@foursquarefm.com — we are happy to have an initial conversation about your situation with no obligation.