What should I do before selling my business?

The best time to start planning for the money from a business sale is before you have the money.

Selling a business isn't just a business transaction. It can change your income, taxes, investment portfolio, retirement plan and the way your family thinks about wealth.

Before we start asking, “What is my business worth?” I want to ask: What does this sale need to make possible for you?

How much do I actually need from the sale?

A $10 million offer sounds better than an $8 million offer. But the headline number isn't the number you get to spend. Taxes, debt, transaction costs, deal structure, earnouts and other factors can change what ultimately reaches your personal balance sheet.

I want to work backward. What does your life cost? What do you already own? What income will you need after the business? What do you want to leave to your family? What do you want to do next?

What should I do with the money after I sell?

Don't wait until the wire arrives. For one owner, a portion of the proceeds may need to remain liquid while they decide what comes next. For another, we may already know that some capital needs to produce income, some can be invested for longer term growth and some has a tax, family or charitable purpose.

Same liquidity event. Completely different jobs for the money.

Should taxes affect when or how I sell?

Taxes can materially affect what you ultimately keep, and the details of a transaction matter. This isn't a conversation I want to have after you've signed the deal.

I want your attorney, CPA and wealth advisor looking at the same transaction before important decisions become irreversible.

What if I don't know what I want to do after the sale?

You don't need to manufacture a new investment strategy the day after closing. Sometimes the smartest first job for the money is simply buying yourself time to think.

We can create liquidity, understand known obligations and give the rest of the capital enough structure that you don't feel pressured to make every long term decision immediately.

Start planning for the wealth before it arrives

You spent years building the business. We shouldn't wait until the sale to start planning for the wealth it creates.

The sale isn't the financial plan. It's the moment the financial plan changes.