If you’re thinking about selling your business — or handing it over to someone else — it’s easy to assume the hard work comes later. But in reality, the most important work happens well before the sale.
And it’s not just your accountant or solicitor who plays a part.
One of the most valuable (but often overlooked) roles in a successful exit is a CFO — someone who can help you plan, prepare, and protect the value you’ve built.
Exit Planning Is a Financial Strategy – Not Just a Legal Process
Selling or exiting a business isn’t just about due diligence, legal paperwork, or tax structures (though those are important). It’s also about:
- Understanding what your business is really worth
- Making sure the numbers back that up
- Having clear, defendable forecasts and financials
- Avoiding last-minute surprises that derail deals
This is where a CFO plays a crucial role — turning your financial picture into a compelling, accurate, and watertight story that gives buyers (or successors) confidence.
What a CFO Does to Support an Exit
Whether you’re aiming to sell in 12 months or 3 years, a CFO can help you prepare the business financially so that when the time comes, everything’s in place.
Here’s how I typically support owners during an exit:
- Clean up and structure financial reporting
- Build forward-looking forecasts based on real performance
- Stress-test different valuation scenarios
- Identify (and address) red flags before buyers do
- Liaise with accountants, solicitors, lenders, and buyers
- Coach owners through the financial questions that come up during the process
It’s not just about the spreadsheets. It’s about strategy, clarity, and execution.
Real Support, Not Just Advice
In a recent project, I worked with a business owner who’d had an offer on the table — but when the buyer requested financial projections and detailed cash flow breakdowns, things started to stall.
Their accountant handled the historicals well, but didn’t have the capacity to build out the kind of commercial forecasts the buyer wanted to see. I stepped in to bridge the gap — building clear models, fielding questions from their advisor team, and giving the owner the confidence to negotiate on value.
The deal moved forward. The business sold. And the owner walked away with the outcome they wanted.
Avoiding Common Pitfalls
Without strategic financial input, business exits can easily lose momentum — or value. Some common issues I see:
- Forecasts that don’t stand up to scrutiny
- Financials that look messy or inconsistent
- Over- or under-valued expectations
- A lack of clarity on what drives profit or cash
- Delays caused by missing financial information
These can all be avoided with the right preparation — and the earlier, the better.
Fractional Means Flexible (and Affordable)
You don’t need a full-time CFO on the payroll to get this support. A Fractional CFO gives you strategic financial expertise when you need it most — in the run-up to an exit, during negotiations, and throughout the handover process.
It’s cost-effective, focused, and tailored to your business and timeline.
I often work alongside accountants, legal teams, and internal staff — making sure the financial side of the deal is rock solid.
Thinking About an Exit? Let’s Talk Early.
If an exit is even on the horizon — whether in a year or further out — it’s worth a conversation now. The earlier you prepare, the smoother the process (and better the outcome) tends to be.
