Your accountant, attorney and financial planner all play important roles in succession planning, whether you are aiming for an internal sale (i.e., to family members or current employees) or an external one. Those professionals will work to ensure that you cover the necessary bases with respect to the financial aspects of the transition. But there’s more at stake than moving money and shares. You’ll want to be sure that the next owners and managers are prepared to lead and run the company successfully AFTER you leave. Think about it—If your business depends on you for its success, then an external buyer is not likely to pay top dollar unless you come along with the sale (Remember: you wanted to exit the business, right?). Likewise with an internal sale (where the transition is likely structured in a way that the new owners must pay you over a period of several years through the profits of the company), you may not get your money out if the business underperforms. That’s where we come in – we help you with the leadership aspects of a business transition, so that your enterprise is attractive to potential buyers and is positioned to run successfully/profitably even after you leave. Depending on the particular circumstances, this may involve things like assessing and growing the talents of employees who will remain with the company when you exit (i.e., building your bench strength); helping you to “let go” of certain duties; strengthening systems and processes, as well as other interventions designed to position your organization for a healthy future after the shares switch hands.