Exit planning is often treated as a commercial exercise. Tax planning is treated as a technical one. In reality, separating the two is one of the most common and costly mistakes business owners make. An exit is not a single event. It is the culmination of years of decisions around structure, timing, ownership, and risk. Tax outcomes are shaped by those decisions long before a sale is agreed. When exit planning and tax planning work together, value is protected. When they do n

Exit planning is rarely straightforward, but it becomes significantly more complex when there is more than one shareholder involved. Different objectives, time horizons, risk appetites, and personal circumstances can quickly turn what should be a strategic process into a source of friction. Many multi shareholder businesses delay exit planning precisely because alignment feels difficult. In practice, that delay often destroys value. The reality is that exits do not fail becau

A successful business exit is built on preparation. Most deals fall apart not because the business is weak, but because the owner enters the process unprepared, disorganised, or unsure of the information buyers will demand. Exit planning is not about adding paperwork; it is about strengthening value, reducing risk, and ensuring the business withstands scrutiny. At ExitPlanning.co.uk , we have distilled the essentials into a practical framework of 25 items every owner should c

Why documented systems matter Most business owners underestimate how much value is tied up in the knowledge they carry in their heads. When key processes are undocumented, the business becomes overly dependent on the owner, vulnerable to inconsistency, and difficult for a buyer to scale with confidence. For anyone planning a future exit, documented systems are not a nice-to-have. They are a core value driver. Strong systems create order, repeatability, and predictability. Buy

When it comes to selling a business, buyers don’t just assess potential — they assess risk. The more perceived risk in your business, the lower the price and the harder the sale. Reducing buyer risk is one of the most effective ways to protect and enhance value ahead of an exit. With the right structure, preparation, and foresight, you can create a business that buyers see as strong, stable, and scalable — not fragile or dependent. Here ’s how to start. 1. Build a Business T