The emotional side of selling your business

It’s unavoidable. After years of involvement in your business, suddenly being without it may bring about feelings of regret and uncertainty, fear and second-guessing. Some people may even experience a loss of identity and community. Your identity may have been intertwined with your business for many years; finding yourself beyond your business takes time and planning.

What’s next?

We can provide advice and support as you consider the sale of your business. Here are a few suggestions to help you consider what you want your life to look like beyond your business – and how we can help you get there.

Reinvent yourself.

What will your life look like immediately after the sale? One year later? Five years later? Think about what you’ll do with both your time and your money as you plan your path forward.

How we can help: Just like you did when you began investing, now is a good time to identify your goals and objectives for the next stage of life and structure your finances to meet them. We can also suggest options to address some of your concerns for the future. For example, with your additional liquidity you may wish to consider reallocating a portion to an insurance vehicle to help provide for future generations. What was once your business legacy can now be a financial legacy that will allow your children and grandchildren to explore even more opportunities.

Talk to others.

Learn from others in your network who have been through a similar experience. Ask them about what they learned or wish they had known. Or consider working with a mentor or coach; someone who has gone through the process or helped others through it.

How we can help: We have years of experience helping business owners develop a personalized financial plan after the sale of their business. For example, your plan may include retirement income analysis, tax strategies, estate planning, philanthropy and more. Just like you were an expert running your business, we’re experts in helping you manage your financial affairs as you move into the next stage of life.

Don’t make too many changes at once.

Although it can be tempting to make a completely fresh start (moving to a new country or buying a new home for example) as you look ahead to the next stage of life, selling your business is a significant life change in itself. It’s best to give yourself 6-12 months to adapt to life after the sale of your business before you consider other significant life changes.

How we can help: We know your priorities may evolve during the selling process and afterwards, but we’ll help you stay on track with a short and long-term plan that meets your personal and financial goals.

Avoid seller’s remorse.

We’ve all heard of “seller’s remorse”- the feeling of sadness or regret after selling something that is emotionally important to the seller. It’s quite common and can be a big emotional barrier.

How we can help: Having good reasons to sell, building a plan for a rich and rewarding life after your business, and working with us to ensure your financial security will help you anticipate seller’s remorse, rather than dealing with it after the fact.

 


 

Selling a business isn’t just a financial transaction, it’s a life-changing event. Contact us to get financial advice for your next stage of life.

Want to learn more?

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