With predictions for a record number of business exits in 2026, Liberti Club hosted a Breakfast Briefing for founders in Manchester on 13th October to explore the new drivers of value creation and how to maximise wealth with experts from Amber River, The CFO Centre and The Marketing Centre.
The thread that ran through the session was how experts help founders to bring strategic coherence to their investment case and wealth ambitions.
Kicking off with a fractional finance leader’s perspective on normalised profitability and making the forecast the best it can be, The CFO Centre’s Mark Wilson emphasised the importance of repeat and retained business – and reducing bad debt from the wrong customers.
The baton was passed to Fareeda Jaleel, Portfolio CMO and Regional Director of The Marketing Centre, who explained the role of marketing in understanding why customers stay, how to sustain differentiation and why brand is the convergence of what you and your customers really care about.
Financial Planner Mark O’Neill FPFS, from Amber River True Bearing, explained that the number that matters for the life or outcome you want might not always be as big as you think.
Liberti Club Director Alex Evans caught up with Mark, and fellow Financial Planner Steve Rowntree from Amber River Johnston Financial, for expert perspectives on how founders can maximise wealth from their businesses, before and after exit…
AE: From a personal financial planning perspective, when planning for life after exit, what can founders do to protect themselves from inflation?
MO: Inflation is often described as the silent assassin because its effect is gradual and easy to underestimate. A bank balance may still show the same number of pounds, yet those pounds buy less each year. The danger is magnified by longevity. A founder retiring or stepping back in their fifties may need the proceeds to support 30 or 40 years of expenditure. Even moderate inflation compounds over that period, while the founder’s own spending pattern – travel, healthcare, property maintenance or supporting family – may not match headline inflation. Holding the entire sale proceeds in cash may feel reassuring immediately after a transaction, but over the long term the return after tax may fail to keep pace with rising costs.
We help by using lifetime cashflow modelling, keeping an appropriate short-term cash reserve and investing the longer-term capital in portfolios aligned with the client’s goals, risk tolerance and capacity for loss. The plan is regularly reviewed so spending and investments can adapt as inflation, markets and circumstances change.
AE: What is on the horizon from a tax or regulation perspective that you’re helping your founder clients to prepare for in context of wealth management or maximisation?
SR: There have been a few changes recently that have led to revisiting plans, even where an exit is not imminent. Business Asset Disposal Relief is now at 18%, with the £1 million lifetime limit still applying. Owners need to understand what they are likely to have available after tax, and the qualifying conditions need to be checked well before a sale. Changes to BPR also mean we cannot assume that the full value of a qualifying business will be sheltered from inheritance tax. That makes succession planning, ownership arrangements and how any potential tax liability would be funded more important.
Looking ahead, most pension funds will come within inheritance tax from April 2027. Pensions still have a very useful role in retirement planning, but the approach of leaving them untouched primarily to pass on to the next generation needs another look. In addition, on sale, shares that potentially qualified for BPR are generally being replaced with cash that does not, so a successful exit can bring a significant new inheritance tax exposure. All of that reinforces the need for the financial planner, accountant, and solicitor to work together early.
AE: Why are more founders looking for ways to maximise wealth from their business before an exit?
MO: Founders are increasingly recognising that wealth planning should begin well before completion, not after the sale proceeds arrive. A transaction can quickly convert a valuable business into personal wealth, but some of the most useful planning opportunities depend on decisions made while the company is still trading and the founder continues to receive earnings or remuneration.
Several factors explain the growing focus on pre-exit planning. Founders want greater certainty over the amount they need to realise from a sale; tax rules and allowances can change; buyers scrutinise company structures closely; and many owners have concentrated on reinvesting in the business rather than building assets outside it. Early planning creates time to separate business and personal objectives, improve financial resilience and avoid rushed decisions under transaction pressure.
Pensions can support this planning. The standard pension annual allowance is currently £60,000, and unused allowance may sometimes be carried forward from the previous three tax years. For limited companies, significant corporation tax relief could be available by maximising this funding opportunity which requires formal advice.
AE: What other exit options are founders considering and how are you advising on them?
SR: Different exit routes can mean very different outcomes in terms of how much they receive, when they receive it and how certain those payments are. For those who want to carry on, it is about balancing investment in the business with taking some profit out efficiently and building wealth elsewhere. As financial planners, it comes back to what the owner needs personally.
Employee ownership is worth mentioning. Scottish Enterprise reports a 47% increase in employee-owned businesses between 2022 and 2024. This gives owners another option to consider, particularly if looking after their team and keeping the business locally is important to them.
Despite the unfortunate IHT changes from next year, we are still seeing owners being attracted to max’ing out pension contributions to move funds to personal wealth to reduce CT. Also, owning business premises within SIPP is still very attractive and good way to efficiently boost personal wealth.
AE: Amber River is part of the Liberti Club partner ecosystem. How are you using partner networks to deliver more value to clients?
SR: We work closely with accountants, solicitors and corporate finance advisers and our role is to bring the owner’s personal financial needs into that discussion. For example, understanding how much capital someone needs after tax can help frame discussions around the sale price, deferred payments or whether a partial sale would be sufficient. Equally, the accountant or solicitor may identify something that changes how we approach the personal planning.
MO: A business exit is rarely only an investment matter. It brings together a group of experts who can advise and support the exit. A strong partner network gives the client access to the right specialist at the right stage, while the financial planner keeps the work connected to the founder’s overall objectives. Ultimately, the network should make a complex transition feel coordinated rather than fragmented.
If you would like to talk to Mark, based in Lancashire, or Steve, in Edinburgh, about your plans and how to prepare for the best outcome, email [email protected] at Amber River True Bearing or [email protected] at Amber River Johnston Financial. To find an Amber River advisor near you, visit https://amberriver.com/.
Disclaimer
This material is general information and is not personal financial, legal or tax advice. Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and may change. The value of investments can fall as well as rise, and clients may receive back less than they invest. Personal recommendations should follow a full assessment of objectives, circumstances, risk tolerance and capacity for loss, with specialist tax and legal advice where appropriate.