Exit Planning
Transition Businesses with Ease & Support
Exiting a business is the result of years of preparation, decisions, tradeoffs, and timing. The process often involves more than the transaction itself, including the owner’s personal goals, the readiness of the business, tax considerations, succession issues, and what life is meant to look like after the transition.
At Cadent, exit planning begins well before a sale is imminent. The work often starts with assessing where the business stands today, where value may be strengthened, and what issues need to be addressed in advance. That may include planning around ownership structure, liquidity, leadership continuity, personal financial readiness, and the alignment between business goals and family goals.
With Certified Exit Planning Advisors on the team, Cadent helps business owners think through the decisions that surround a transition, not only the event itself. The objective is to bring more structure to a process that can otherwise become reactive.
A Deliberate Approach to Exit Planning
Many owners spend years building value in a business without a clear plan for how or when that value will eventually be realized. Exit planning creates space to evaluate those questions before timing becomes constrained.
That often means identifying operational or financial areas that may warrant attention, clarifying what a successful transition would need to accomplish, and allowing time to prepare the business and the owner for the next stage. In some cases, the priority is a near-term sale. In others, it may involve internal succession, phased ownership changes, or simply becoming better prepared well in advance.
Cadent’s role is to help organize those conversations and coordinate the planning that needs to happen around them. That includes working with the client’s CPA, attorney, and other advisors so the process reflects both the personal and financial side of the decision.
Areas of Focus
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Early Start
Even if an exit feels too far away to think about, good direction on what can be done today helps prepare for what’s next. We strongly encourage business owners to ask us about the exit readiness assessment. -
Value and positioning
Reviewing the factors that influence how the business may be perceived by internal successors, outside buyers, or other potential counterparties. -
Personal planning
Coordinating decisions around liquidity, income needs, tax exposure, estate planning, and the owner’s next chapter after the business. -
Succession considerations
Thinking through internal continuity, leadership transition, family dynamics, and the practical realities of ownership change. -
Advisory coordination
Working alongside attorneys, CPAs, valuation professionals, growth accelerators and other advisors involved in the planning and execution process.
Investment Banking Partnerships
For those ready to exit as soon as possible, we’re here to help execute. We collaborate with the Raymond James Investment Banking group help to facilitate the sale of clients’ businesses. This collaboration allows us to leverage Raymond James' extensive resources, industry expertise, and global network to ensure that the business is positioned attractively to potential buyers.
Our combined efforts focus on maximizing the value of the business, finding the right partner, negotiating favorable terms, and completing a fulfilling transaction. With Raymond James' comprehensive track record in investment banking and our personalized approach to exit planning, we provide a comprehensive solution that helps address every aspect of the sale process, in pursuit of a successful outcome.
*While we are familiar with the tax provisions of the issues presented herein, as Financial Advisors we are not qualified to render advice on tax or legal matters. You should discuss any tax or legal matters with the appropriate professional.
Raymond James and its advisors do not provide business valuation services.
