Selling a business

Let’s be honest, selling a business isn’t like any other sale. This is your business, the product of enormous emotional, physical and financial outlay and hard work, and you’re most likely experiencing a huge range of emotions just thinking about letting it go.

Whether you are thinking over your options regarding selling your business in the future, or you already mid-process, we start our work by establishing the answers to a few important questions: What do you want to do once the business is sold? Where will you get that same sense of purpose or thrill that running a business gave you? How could the money from the sale of your business help you achieve your next goals?

By using this as our starting point, we can help you work out the price you need to achieve to have the life you want following the sale. For some clients, the result of our work is that they are able to sell sooner than they anticipated. For others, it becomes clear there is still work to be done. Whether you are already in the process of agreeing a sale, or you’re still just mulling over your options, lifestyle financial planning will help you visualise what it is you’re working towards and understand the steps you still need to take to achieve that end goal.

How we help

Preparing for transition

Selling a business is undoubtedly a cause for celebration in most cases, but there are emotional challenges it's important to be aware of. A lack of purpose and a sense of drift can sometimes come with the upheaval of a business sale. And the loss of a business you've worked hard to build up can leave a gap that seems hard to fill. We will help you identify what you want to achieve in the next exciting phase of your life by exploring your options and how much your ideal lifestyle is likely to cost.

A winning team

Major life transitions don’t happen overnight. It can take time to reach to achieve all the goals you set yourself. We will be here for the duration, supporting you every step of the way, ensuring your plan is able to adapt and keep pace with changing events, and your aspirations. What’s more, we’ll work alongside your solicitor, accountant or other corporate advisers where you need us to be a team, ensuring your interests are best served at all times.

Sale price evaluation

All too often, business owners calculate a sale price based solely on what they think someone will be willing to pay for the business. We come at this from a different angle. Unless you have first worked out the figure you need to receive to allow you to transition to the next stage of your life, how can you really be confident your sale will allow you to move on? Our work together will therefore concentrate on helping you explore your options and, with the help of cutting edge cash flow modelling software, help you calculate how much your lifestyle preferences are likely to cost. You are then able to assess whether the price you have been offered is enough for you to successfully achieve your goals.

Retirement planning

Thanks to changes in average life expectancy, pensions legislation and the way society now views retirement, there are more options than ever when it comes to retiring. Do you want to stop work altogether as soon as possible? Or is stopping work your worst nightmare? Do you want to phase into retirement gradually over several years, perhaps working as a consultant after your business sale? How do you dream of spending the years ahead? And crucially, do you finances support your ambitions? We’ll help answer these questions and get you on track to the retirement you want.

Please note, a pension is a long-term investment not normally accessible until 55 (57 from April 2028). Your capital is at risk. The value of your investment (and any income from them) can go down as well as up which would have an impact on the level of pension benefits available.

More life transitions

Starting a family

Starting a family is a hugely exciting time. But, as you may already be aware, it can put a squeeze on your finances.

Divorce or separation

A divorce can be a psychological and financial hammer blow. But with our help, you can start to plan, look forward and rebuild.

Midlife check-in

You lead a busy life and retirement is still a way off, but with unfulfilled ambitions to tick off the bucket list, you could do with a check-in on your finances.

Receiving an inheritance or lump sum

A life-changing sum of money can do life-changing things. Deciding on the best way to use it, therefore, can feel like a big responsibility.

Retirement

There is no longer just one way to do retirement with greater freedoms and more choices than ever before. Finding the right way for you is key.

Death of a loved one

Receiving help to deal with the financial as well as the emotional implications of loss can make all the difference when have been bereaved.

Entering later life

As you approach later life, you will be looking for security. With our help you can gain peace of mind knowing every scenario is planned for.

ALL LIFE TRANSITIONS