Insights topic
Retirement and business succession.
Retiring from a business, and passing it to family, management or a third party.
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About this topic
For many owners the exit is really a retirement decision, and the commercial route follows from it. A sale to a third party, a management buy-out, an employee ownership trust and a handover to family each produce a different outcome for the owner, the people who work in the business and the business itself.
This topic collects guidance on retirement and succession for UK business owners: how to judge whether family or management succession is realistic, how a buy-out is funded, how a phased handover works when an owner wants to step back gradually, and what a sale needs to deliver to fund a retirement. The right answer depends on the owner's timescale and priorities as much as on the value of the company.
Latest records.
Insight / guidance article
The Importance of Succession Planning in Business Sales
Succession planning means preparing a business to run without its current owner before that owner tries to sell it.
Insight / guidance article
Why Every Business Owner Needs an Exit Plan, Even If They're Not Ready to Sell
An exit plan is not a document you write when you decide to sell. It is ongoing preparation, covering succession, financial structure and dependency on the owner, that protects the business and its va
Insight / guidance article
The Smart Exit: Could an Employee Ownership Trust Be Your Best Move?
An Employee Ownership Trust (EOT) exit suits businesses with stable cash flow, a capable management team and an owner who values continuity over maximising sale price through competitive bidding.
Insight / guidance article
Employee Ownership Trusts: A Tax-Efficient Exit Strategy for Retiring Business Owners
An Employee Ownership Trust is a structure in which a company's shares are sold into a trust held for the benefit of employees, allowing an owner to exit while the business continues to operate indepe
Insight / guidance article
What Happens to a Company After an Employee Ownership Trust Sale
After a sale to an employee ownership trust, staff become indirect beneficial owners of the company through the trust, and day-to-day management usually continues largely unchanged. The main shifts ar
Insight / guidance article
Exploring Exit Strategies: Is Selling the Only Option?
A trade sale is the most common way UK business owners exit, but it is not the only option. Merging with a larger company, selling to an Employee Ownership Trust, or handing the business to existing m