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Business succession: ownership and management of the family SME

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Plan continuity around the business, the owners and the next management team

Business succession combines questions about ownership, management and family objectives. Transferring shares does not automatically transfer the knowledge, relationships and responsibilities needed to run a company. Preparation gives the owners time to compare options and develop the people involved.

Clarify the objectives and roles

We start with the current owners’ plans and the interest and capabilities of potential successors. Family members can have different roles as owners, directors and managers. Responsibilities, decision-making and expectations need to be explicit.

The business also needs to be considered independently: management depth, customer relationships, operating processes and financial resources affect continuity.

Establish a financial starting point

A business valuation helps inform discussions among owners and potential investors. Financial statement analysis and a business plan help assess the resources required for the transition and the company’s subsequent development.

Compare possible paths

Options may include a family management transition, external managers, the entry of an investor, a management buyout or a sale to a third party. Legal instruments, governance arrangements and tax effects depend on the situation and need review with the relevant professionals.

The objective is to find a workable solution, rather than assuming that family ownership and family management must always remain identical.

Organise the transition

A practical plan can define responsibilities, training, decision rights, reporting, milestones and the current owner’s future involvement. Management control and fractional CFO support can improve the information available during the handover.

Where a partial or full sale is being considered, M&A advisory connects succession objectives with a confidential market process. Describe your desired timing and the people involved to begin a structured discussion.

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