Turning business success into personal financial security
Business owner financial advisory
Business owner financial advisory is personal financial advice for founders and owners whose wealth is largely held in their company. It covers the period before and after a sale, partial exit or large distribution in the GCC, and keeps the owner's personal goals separate from the needs of the business.
For many business owners, most of their wealth is tied up in one company. That concentration often built the wealth in the first place, but it needs a plan as personal goals come into view.
We help founders and owners prepare for liquidity events, invest proceeds thoughtfully and keep business and personal finances in their proper places.
Founders often reach a sale with a clear plan for the business and no plan for themselves. We focus on the personal side: what the proceeds need to achieve, how much should stay readily available, and how concentration can be reduced over time. We work alongside the corporate finance, legal and tax advisers handling the transaction, and we do not act as an M&A adviser ourselves.
Timing matters. Ideally we begin twelve months or more before a planned transaction, so there is time to understand what the proceeds need to achieve and to prepare without pressure. We can still help at any stage, including after completion, when the priority is often to avoid rushed decisions.
Challenges we address
- Personal wealth heavily concentrated in a single business.
- Business and personal finances that have become intertwined.
- A sale, partial exit or large distribution approaching without a personal plan.
- Deciding what to do with significant proceeds after a sale.
- Planning succession or retirement from the business.
Our approach
- Separate the picture
- We distinguish business assets and risks from your personal financial position and goals.
- Prepare for liquidity
- Before a transaction, we help you understand what the proceeds need to achieve personally.
- Plan after the sale
- We help you take time, avoid rushed decisions and build a strategy for the proceeds.
- Diversify thoughtfully
- We recommend ways to reduce concentration over time, consistent with your goals and any transaction terms.
- Coordinate advisers
- We work with your corporate finance, legal and tax advisers on the personal side of the transaction.
Who it may suit
- Founders and owners considering a sale or partial exit.
- Entrepreneurs who have recently completed a transaction.
- Owners receiving significant dividends or distributions.
- Second-generation owners planning their own succession.
The process
Personal goals review
We clarify what you want your personal wealth to achieve.
Position assessment
We review business and personal assets, liabilities and exposures.
Pre- or post-transaction plan
We prepare recommendations suited to your timing.
Investment strategy
We recommend how proceeds might be allocated over time.
Review
Where agreed, we review the plan as your business and personal circumstances change.
What you may receive
- A personal financial position separated from the business.
- A liquidity event preparation plan.
- A post-sale investment and diversification strategy.
- A coordination plan with your other advisers.
Questions
Do you advise on selling my business?
We do not act as corporate finance or M&A advisers. We focus on your personal financial position before and after a transaction, and work alongside the advisers handling the sale.
How soon before a sale should I get in touch?
Ideally twelve months or more before a planned transaction, although we can help at any stage, including after completion.
What should I do with the proceeds straight after a sale?
There is rarely a need to decide everything at once. We help you take time, clarify what the proceeds need to achieve personally, and agree a strategy before longer-term investment decisions are made.
How is this different from my company's bankers or finance team?
Your company's bankers and finance team look after the business. Our focus is your personal position: your goals, your liquidity and your exposure to a single company. We coordinate with them where the two overlap, and how we are paid is set out in writing before you engage us.
What should I prepare before a first conversation?
An outline of the business, your approximate ownership, any transaction you are considering and its rough timing, and what you would want personally from the outcome. Please do not send company accounts, account statements or identity documents before we have agreed to work together.
This page describes a service in general terms. Whether it is suitable for you depends on your circumstances, and it is offered only in jurisdictions where Aurelius Capital is authorized to provide it. Investments can fall as well as rise in value, and you may get back less than you invest. Nothing on this page is a promise of any financial outcome.
Related reading
After the sale: a business owner's first twelve months
Selling a business can turn years of work into cash almost overnight. The months that follow deserve as much planning as the deal itself.
6 min read
Ready to talk about your plans? Schedule a consultation.
Tell us what you are planning for. An adviser will arrange an initial conversation in English or Arabic at a time that suits you.
Requesting a consultation does not create an advisory relationship. Any formal engagement is agreed separately in writing.