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 the starting point. Before valuations, before heads of terms, before any formal process, the service works 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.
We focus on the personal financial planning side of the exit. We work alongside the other advisers involved, but our attention is on the owner’s personal position rather than the transaction itself.
That means helping the owner understand what the sale could mean for their future lifestyle, family wealth, retirement plans, tax position, investment strategy and long-term financial security. The transaction may be the trigger, but the planning question is personal: “What does this mean for me and my family?”
Personal financial planning during the business years
Many clients come into the service before any exit is in view. Pension planning, personal investments and 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.