You've worked hard to build your business. Acumon is a leading UK accountancy firm* providing comprehensive business succession planning services to help improve your succession plan and optimise its value, whether it's sold to your family, management team, or an external buyer. We understand that successful business succession requires careful planning, strategic thinking, and expert execution, and our comprehensive service helps you navigate the complexities of succession while achieving your personal and business objectives.

Retaining Control After Handover

If desired, we can ensure you retain control after the handover. Many business owners wish to maintain some level of involvement or control after succession, whether through retained equity, advisory roles, or structured governance arrangements. We help structure successions that enable you to retain the level of control you desire while facilitating successful transition.

Our succession planning approach considers your personal objectives, including desired level of involvement, financial requirements, and legacy considerations, ensuring that succession structures align with your goals.

Business Succession Services

We help you develop and review your succession options, providing comprehensive support throughout the succession planning process. Our succession planning service covers all aspects of business succession, from initial planning and option evaluation through to transaction execution and post-succession support. We understand that each business and succession situation is unique, and we tailor our services to meet your specific circumstances and objectives.

Our business succession services include:

Searching for and Identifying Buyers

We help you search for and identify potential buyers, whether family members, management teams, employees, or external parties. Our buyer identification service includes:

Market research and buyer identification for external sales
Assessment of family member interest and capability for family successions
Evaluation of management team readiness and financing capability for management buy-outs
Assessment of employee ownership options and feasibility
Introduction to potential buyers where appropriate
Buyer screening and qualification to ensure serious, capable buyers

Our buyer identification service helps you find the right successor for your business, whether family, management, employees, or external parties, ensuring that your business is transferred to capable hands.

Financing the Incoming Management

We support financing for incoming management, enabling you to extract more value from the succession. Management buy-outs often require external financing, and we help structure financing packages that enable management teams to acquire businesses while maximising value for sellers. Our financing support includes:

Structuring financing packages for management buy-outs
Facilitating introductions to lenders and private equity investors
Designing vendor loan and deferred consideration arrangements
Optimising financing structures to maximise seller value
Supporting management teams through financing processes

By helping incoming management secure financing, we can enable you to receive more value from the succession while facilitating successful management buy-outs.

Facilitating Employee Ownership

We facilitate employee ownership arrangements, including Employee Ownership Trusts (EOTs), that enable employees to acquire businesses while providing tax-efficient outcomes for sellers. Our employee ownership services include:

Assessment of employee ownership feasibility and suitability
Design and implementation of Employee Ownership Trusts
Structuring employee ownership transactions to maximise tax benefits
Supporting employee ownership processes and governance
Ensuring compliance with employee ownership regulations

Employee ownership can provide tax-efficient succession options while preserving business culture and employee engagement, and our expertise helps you evaluate and implement employee ownership arrangements effectively.

Identifying Changes Necessary for Successful Succession

We help identify changes necessary for a successful succession, ensuring that businesses are prepared for transition. Our succession preparation services include:

Assessment of business readiness for succession
Identification of operational, financial, and commercial improvements needed
Development of succession preparation plans and timelines
Supporting implementation of necessary changes
Ensuring businesses are positioned for successful succession

Our succession preparation services help ensure that businesses are ready for transition, maximising succession value and success probability.

Selecting New Key Individuals and Equity Alignment

We help you select new key individuals and ensure their new share equity aligns with the value they create. Successful succession often requires identifying and developing key individuals who can lead the business forward, and we help structure equity arrangements that align incentives with value creation. Our key individual and equity alignment services include:

Assessment of key individual capabilities and potential
Design of equity structures that align incentives with value creation
Implementation of management incentive plans, including EMI schemes
Structuring equity participation for key individuals
Ensuring equity arrangements support business objectives and succession success

Our key individual and equity alignment services help ensure that succession structures motivate and reward key individuals appropriately, supporting business success and value creation.

Creating Employee Ownership Trusts

We help create Employee Ownership Trusts (EOTs) that enable tax-efficient employee ownership while preserving business culture and employee engagement. Our EOT services include:

Assessment of EOT suitability and feasibility
Design and implementation of Employee Ownership Trusts
Structuring EOT transactions to maximise tax benefits (including Capital Gains Tax exemption)
Supporting EOT governance and employee engagement
Ensuring compliance with EOT regulations and requirements

Employee Ownership Trusts can provide significant tax benefits for sellers (including Capital Gains Tax exemption) while enabling employee ownership, and our expertise helps you evaluate and implement EOT arrangements effectively.

Succession Planning Options

Business succession can take many forms, and we help you evaluate and implement the succession option that best meets your objectives. Our succession planning service covers all major succession options, from family succession through to external sales, and we help you understand the implications, benefits, and challenges of each option.

Family Succession

Family succession enables you to transfer your business to family members, preserving family legacy and potentially providing tax-efficient outcomes. Our family succession services include:

Assessment of family member interest and capability
Family succession planning and structuring
Tax-efficient family succession arrangements
Governance and control arrangements
Family business continuity planning

Management Succession

Management succession enables you to transfer your business to your management team, often through management buy-out (MBO) arrangements. Our management succession services include:

Assessment of management team readiness
Management buy-out structuring and financing
Management incentive plan design
Equity participation arrangements
Post-succession support and integration

Employee Ownership

Employee ownership enables you to transfer your business to employees, often through Employee Ownership Trusts, providing tax benefits while preserving business culture. Our employee ownership services include:

Employee ownership feasibility assessment
Employee Ownership Trust design and implementation
Tax-efficient employee ownership structuring
Employee engagement and governance
Post-succession support and integration

External Sale

External sale enables you to realise maximum value by selling to third parties, including trade buyers, private equity, or other investors. Our external sale services include:

Business valuation and positioning
Buyer identification and marketing
Transaction structuring and negotiation
Tax-efficient sale arrangements
Transaction execution and completion

Hybrid Succession

Hybrid succession combines multiple succession options, such as partial family succession with external investment, or management buy-out with employee ownership. Our hybrid succession services include:

Hybrid succession option evaluation
Complex succession structure design
Multi-party transaction coordination
Tax-efficient hybrid arrangements
Post-succession governance and support

Business Succession – Your Helping Hand

We provide technical and financial advice and help steer you to stay focused on your objectives. Business succession can be complex and emotionally challenging, and it's easy to lose sight of strategic objectives amid the detail of planning, negotiation, and transaction execution. Our helping hand approach ensures that you have the support and guidance you need to navigate the succession process successfully.

Our role as your helping hand includes:

Strategic Guidance: Helping you maintain focus on succession objectives and ensuring that succession decisions align with your personal and business goals
Process Management: Coordinating with your team and advisors to ensure that all aspects of the succession process progress smoothly and on schedule
Risk Management: Identifying and addressing risks proactively, ensuring that potential issues are resolved before they become problems
Emotional Support: Providing support through the emotional challenges of business succession, helping you navigate difficult decisions and maintain perspective
Communication: Facilitating effective communication between all parties, ensuring that everyone understands their roles and responsibilities
Decision Support: Providing clear, actionable advice that enables you to make informed decisions at each stage of the succession process

We understand that successful business succession requires more than technical expertise – it requires practical guidance and support throughout the entire process. Our helping hand approach ensures that you have the support you need to navigate the succession process successfully and achieve your succession objectives.

Why Choose Acumon for Business Succession Planning

Leading UK Accountancy Firm

As a leading UK accountancy firm, we have the resources, expertise, and infrastructure to provide comprehensive succession planning services for businesses of all sizes, from small owner-managed businesses to large corporate entities.

Committed to Financial Excellence

We're committed to financial excellence, ensuring that our succession planning advice helps you optimise value, reduce risks and taxes, and achieve your succession objectives. You can count on our experience and expertise.

Comprehensive, Tailored Advice

You'll receive personalised, customised succession planning guidance designed for your unique requirements. We understand that each business and succession situation is unique, and we tailor our services to meet your specific circumstances and objectives.

Rapid Completion

We have the staff and expertise available to complete your succession planning efficiently. As a full-service, mid-sized firm of Chartered Accountants with over 90+ UK-based professionals, we have the resources to meet your succession planning requirements while maintaining the highest standards of quality and thoroughness.

Personal Service

We are small enough to care, ensuring that you receive personal service and partner-level involvement throughout the succession planning process. We understand that business succession is often one of the most significant decisions you will make, and we provide the support and guidance you need.

Integrated Expertise

Our integrated approach combines financial, tax, accounting, and advisory expertise, enabling us to provide comprehensive succession planning advice that addresses all aspects of business succession, from valuation and tax planning through to transaction execution and post-succession support.

Next Step

Get in touch with our team today to begin your succession planning journey and optimise your risk management and tax position. Our experienced professionals will deliver comprehensive, tailored succession planning guidance designed for your specific circumstances, supporting you in developing and evaluating succession options, maximising value, and achieving your succession goals.

*Acumon is positioned among the leading UK accountancy firms, having been only £37k short of the top 100 in the Accountancy Age 50+50 list for 2024. Since publication, there have been significant market consolidations; Acumon has continued to grow organically and through strategic acquisitions. Our substantial client base and PIE audit license demonstrate our capability and market position.

Business Succession Planning - Family, Management & Third-Party Succession