Introduction
Guiding your
next chapter
While accountants manage the business transaction, and lawyers handle the legalities, we as your financial planners are focused entirely on you and what comes next.
Selling your business typically unlocks significant wealth, but it also opens a new chapter – one filled with possibilities, but also critical financial decisions. Our role is to ensure this pivotal moment translates into the secure, fulfilling future you envision for yourself and the people you care about most.
Your business exit is not just a transaction; it’s the gateway to your next chapter. Let us help you plan every detail, ensuring the financial security and personal freedom you deserve.
How we help
Selling Your Business
How do we work with business owners looking to sell and what key factors should you consider?
Defining your post-exit life and answering the question – ‘How much is enough?’
What does your ideal future look like? More travel? Philanthropic pursuits? Time with grandchildren? Or perhaps launching a new, passion-driven venture?
We work with you to meticulously define your desired lifestyle, then work with you to answer ‘how much is enough’ and the capital and income required to support that life, ensuring your business transition truly delivers your personal aspirations.
Strategic tax efficiency for your personal wealth
The proceeds from a business sale will be substantial, making effective tax planning paramount. We will implement strategies designed to minimise capital gains tax and other liabilities, maximise allowances and structure your newfound wealth in the most tax-efficient way possible for your long-term benefit.
Crafting your personal investment and income strategy
Once the sale is complete, most likely you will have a significant amount of liquid capital. We will help you build a highly diversified investment portfolio aligned with your risk tolerance, desired income stream and long-term growth objectives, ensuring your capital works as hard as you did to earn it.
Robust retirement and long-term cash flow planning
For many, the business sale is their retirement. We develop comprehensive cash flow models that project your income and expenses for decades to come, accounting for inflation, healthcare costs and unexpected life events. Our goal is to provide absolute confidence that you will maintain your desired lifestyle without the fear of outliving your capital.
Building your enduring legacy
Beyond immediate financial security, we help you think about your lasting impact. How do you want to pass on your wealth to future generations, support causes you believe in, or protect your family’s inheritance? We guide you through estate planning strategies, and we will review your Will and Trust planning, to ensure your wishes are met with clarity and tax efficiency.
Navigating family dynamics and emotional transitions
The sale of a business brings complex family discussions and emotional shifts. We act as a steady hand, providing objective guidance and helping you navigate these sensitive conversations, ensuring financial decisions align with family harmony and your personal wellbeing.
We provide help in answering these key questions:
- What do I want my life to look like after the sale? Do you envision full retirement, semi-retirement, pursuing new passions, philanthropy, or starting another venture?
- Cash flow modelling. How much capital and income do you need to achieve this lifestyle? This involves a detailed look at projected living expenses, desired travel, hobbies, family support and any significant purchases (e.g. a new home). This number becomes the target for the sale proceeds.
- What is my risk tolerance for investments after the sale? With potentially a large sum of liquid capital, how comfortable are you with market fluctuations? This will guide the investment strategy.
- How will the sale proceeds be invested to provide a sustainable income and growth? This involves creating a diversified investment portfolio that balances capital preservation, income generation, and long-term growth, aligned with your risk tolerance, personal goals, values and future needs.
*Investing places your capital at risk and you may not receive back the amount you originally invested. Investments may fall or rise in value.
We can help with:
- Optimising personal and family tax
We will work with you to implement smart tax strategies, ensuring you and your family retain more of your wealth, both now and in the future.
- Pre-sale financial planning
We help you answer the crucial question of ‘How much is enough?’ – meticulously planning your personal financial needs and aspirations to ensure your business sale delivers true financial freedom.
- Navigating your transition to employee ownership
If appropriate, we support clients considering a transition to employee ownership by drawing on in-house experience and specialist knowledge to help navigate the financial considerations involved.
- Strategic post-sale investment management
We will design and manage a robust investment portfolio for your sale proceeds, aligned with your personal goals and values, ensuring your wealth grows sustainably and provides for your long-term security.
- Purposeful philanthropy planning
If giving back is important to you, we can help you craft a meaningful family giving strategy, working with other specialists to ensure your wealth creates a lasting positive impact in line with your personal values.
Still have questions or want to know more?
Ready to talk about the future?
The journey of building and leading a business is incredibly rewarding, and your next move – whether it’s selling, transitioning, or evolving your role – is just as significant. It’s a moment that deserves careful consideration, clarity and expert guidance.
Values
Why choose Paradigm Norton?
We believe true financial planning isn’t just about numbers; it’s about lives. That’s why we always put you, your values and your future at the heart of every conversation. Our approach ensures that every strategy we craft is deeply aligned with what matters most to you, securing not just your wealth, but your wellbeing.
At Paradigm Norton, we partner with business owners to ensure their hard work translates into lasting personal financial freedom. We craft bespoke plans that bridge the gap between business value and your life's aspirations, focusing on your future beyond the sale.
You will of course receive unwavering support from our highly qualified and expert financial planning and tax team. Over the last 20 years, we have refined our approach to consistently deliver reliable, effective solutions tailored to our clients’ needs.
Our values-led ethos means your financial plan isn't just about money; it's about aligning your wealth with what truly matters. We are committed to impacting lives for the better, driven by principles that prioritise people, purposeful actions and building a sustainable future.
For business leaders contemplating a sale, our status as both a B-Corp and Employee-Owned firm means we understand the unique balance of purpose and profit. We speak your language, helping you craft an exit that not only maximises value but also preserves your legacy, culture and the future of your people.
Team
Our Team
We understand that contemplating a business exit or major change is a deeply personal and strategic decision. We’re here to help you navigate this pivotal phase with confidence, ensuring your personal financial future aligns perfectly with your business aspirations.
Talk to one of our trusted Partners today and let’s begin shaping your next chapter.
Read
Brochure
Free financial planning resources
Helpful tools and guides to start planning your financial future with confidence.
Questions
Selling a Business FAQs
Selling your business is a monumental step, and it naturally comes with many questions about your financial future. Here, we address some of the most common concerns business owners have shared with us.
How do I know if I have "enough" to sell my business and retire comfortably?
This is often the first and most critical question.
We start by working with you to define your ideal post-exit lifestyle. This includes everything from your desired annual spending and travel aspirations to charitable giving and support for family members.
We then use sophisticated cash flow modelling to project your financial future, determining the capital required from your sale to sustain that lifestyle for the rest of your life, even factoring in inflation and unexpected events. In effect we are answering your question ‘How much is enough?’
What are the tax implications of selling my business, and how can I minimise them?
The tax landscape around business sales can be complex, involving Capital Gains Tax, potential Corporation Tax, and other considerations. Our tax team work closely with your other business tax advisers (or can introduce you to specialists) to explore every opportunity for tax efficiency. This includes understanding and maximising reliefs like Business Asset Disposal Relief (BADR), strategically timing the sale, and structuring your proceeds to minimise your tax burden and maximise the net funds you receive.
How should I invest the proceeds from my business sale?
Receiving a large sum of liquid capital can be daunting. We will help you transition from managing a business to managing personal wealth. This involves crafting a personalised investment strategy that aligns with your risk tolerance, time horizon and income needs. We focus on diversification, long-term growth and generating a sustainable income stream to support your desired lifestyle, ensuring your hard-earned capital works for you.
How can I ensure my wealth lasts throughout my retirement?
Our comprehensive financial planning includes robust cash flow analysis that projects your finances far into the future. We model various scenarios, stress-testing your plan against potential market downturns, rising costs and unexpected events.
This proactive approach aims to give you complete confidence that your wealth will support you and your family for the rest of your life, without the fear of outliving your funds.
What happens to my existing pensions and other assets after the sale?
Your business sale is a key piece of your overall financial puzzle. We will integrate your existing pensions, investments, property and any other assets into a holistic financial plan. This ensures everything works together efficiently, optimising your tax position and providing a clear, consolidated view of your total wealth.
How can I plan for my family's financial future and leave a legacy?
Beyond your immediate needs, we help you think about your legacy. This involves discussions around wealth transfer to future generations, philanthropic goals and estate planning. We work with you to establish trusts, review your will and implement strategies to minimise Inheritance Tax, ensuring your wishes are carried out clearly and efficiently.
When should I start planning for my business exit?
The earlier, the better. While some aspects of the sale can be managed closer to the transaction, personal financial planning benefits greatly from a longer lead time. Starting early allows us to strategically optimise your tax position, build personal wealth outside the business, and thoroughly model different scenarios, giving you more options and greater control over your future.
Even if you are years away from a sale, it’s never too soon to begin the conversation.
What if I'm not ready to fully retire after selling my business?
That’s perfectly normal!
Many business owners choose to pursue new ventures, take on non-executive roles, or engage in passion projects. Our financial planning accounts for this. We can help you structure your post-exit finances to provide the freedom to explore these new opportunities, balancing income needs with capital preservation and growth, whether you’re working part-time or simply pursuing a new interest.