A major milestone in the life of an entrepreneur is selling your business. It can be a life-changing event, both personally and financially. And it presents you with a vast array of options which may seem intimidating, particularly as part of a process that is very demanding of your time and energy.

You might be considering using the proceeds of the company sale to fund your retirement, either immediately or in the future. Or you might plan to leverage this capital into a new business or investment opportunity. Or your priority may be your children and ensuring that they reap the benefits of your hard work. While you’re skilled in business and your area of specialism, it takes a completely different set of knowledge and experience to leverage your business sale for these goals.

Whatever your aspirations, you’ll want to make sure your money is working as hard as possible. That’s where Investec can help, by creating a financial plan that’s built around you and focused on your goals.

Our experts can recommend products and strategies for effective retirement planning, inheritance planning, or tax-efficient investing, to take full advantage of your business sale to help you achieve your next aspirations.

Client V, a 36-year-old business owner, was selling his business and wanted advice to ensure he was making the best use of the proceeds for his future financial stability, including providing for his children.

“As a father and a husband, the main goal of my life and career has been to provide my family with the financial freedom to do what they want to do, rather than what can we afford to do. When you have not had money previously, the feeling of what to do next and not ‘mess up’ is unnerving and something I find difficult to deal with.”

We reviewed every aspect of the client’s financial situation, covering his likely earnings trajectory in the future, his cash requirements, and his retirement goals.

We established that his family had several requirements for cash in the short term, but he was primarily concerned with retirement and intergenerational wealth planning.

So, we recommended placing most of the capital from the business sale in a long-term investment portfolio with a time horizon of 20+ years, where it has the best chance of growth.

“With Investec, I have been able to discuss what goals we have as a family, what is important to us, and what the best way to achieve this is. That gives me confidence in making decisions. A clear strategy with constant communication has been something we have been impressed with.”

Creating a robust plan has led to the client feeling confident about the future of their family’s finances. As their investible asset base continues to grow and their family requirements evolve, we will continue to work with them to challenge and adapt our plan and investment approach.

“By working with Investec, I feel secure that my finances are being looked after correctly. Peace of mind is an immeasurable commodity, but I feel, with Investec, that is growing all the time. I hope by having more peace of mind and a glowing portfolio we can truly travel the world and see all that it has to offer!”

Whether you know exactly what you want to achieve with the proceeds of your company sale, or you need help identifying your goals, we can help.

To contact or read more about Matt Green, visit his biography here.