Business succession & exit planning
The three years before a sale matter more than the negotiation.
Selling or transitioning a business is the most consequential financial event most owners will face. We help business owners across Illinois and Tennessee prepare years in advance, so the outcome reflects what they've built.
Who this is for
Built for owners planning their exit.
Founders and owners one to five years from a sale, transition, or succession.
Owners who want equity structure, tax, and the post-liquidity plan handled before the buyer appears.
Anyone who’s built something meaningful and wants the exit done right — once.
BUSINESS SUCCESSION
Prepared years before the sale.
Equity structure, exit timing, tax mitigation, and post-liquidity planning — so the outcome reflects the decades you put in.
Our approach
We begin with the end in mind.
Most business owners spend decades building something extraordinary, then have 12 months to plan an exit. The tax implications, equity structure, post-liquidity investment strategy, and personal financial readiness: all of it takes years to do right.
At Ftacek Financial Services, we partner with founders years before a transaction. We work alongside your M&A attorney, CPA, and business broker, coordinating every piece so nothing is left to chance when the buyer appears.
The exit timeline
Three years before a sale.
Structure & strategy
Review ownership structure, equity split, and buy-sell agreements. Identify tax elections that need to be made now. Build the exit financial model.
Preparation & coordination
Engage M&A counsel and business broker. Build financial statements for buyer due diligence. Fund the post-liquidity plan and finalize tax strategy.
Execution & transition
LOI negotiation, due diligence support, closing. Immediately deploy the liquidity event proceeds into the coordinated investment and estate plan.
Post-liquidity stewardship
Transition from business owner to wealth steward. We manage the investment portfolio, estate strategy, and tax coordination for years to come.
Illustrative case
Hypothetical scenario: sequencing an exit over three years
Consider a founder-owned manufacturing business beginning exit planning three years before a targeted sale. Working alongside the owner’s estate attorney and CPA, the planning could address ownership and equity structure, buy-sell funding, trust planning for transferred shares, tax-strategy coordination, and a post-liquidity investment plan, all set in motion before a buyer is identified. The goal of starting early is to give each decision time to be made deliberately rather than under deadline pressure.
Hypothetical example for illustration only. This is not based on any actual client and does not describe the experience of any client. It is not a recommendation and is not a guarantee of any result. Outcomes depend on individual circumstances and applicable law. Ftacek Financial Services does not provide legal or tax advice.