Journal

Succession insights

Practical perspectives on preparing and executing a business succession worldwide, with Swiss expertise.

  1. Earn-outs in a business sale: what they promise, and where they fail

    When a results-linked deferred payment makes sense in an SME sale, how to structure it, and why it fails so often after closing.

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  2. How the buyer finances the deal, and what it means for you as the seller

    Equity, bank debt, seller financing, earn-outs: the typical financing structures behind an SME acquisition, and what each one means for the seller.

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  3. Confidentiality during a sale: protecting the business, informing at the right time

    Who needs to know what and when during a business sale: NDAs, information circles, and the risks of a leak to clients, staff and competitors.

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  4. Retaining key employees during a business succession

    Retention instruments, internal communication timing and the role of managers: how to stop key people leaving during a sale process.

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  5. The Post-Closing Transition: Making the Handover Period Work

    How long a seller's handover support should last, which roles to clarify before closing, and the pitfalls of seller-buyer cohabitation.

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  6. Managing your time as an owner during a succession

    A sale can absorb months of an owner's time. How to run the process without letting day-to-day operations slip at the worst moment.

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  7. Documenting key processes before a succession

    Why a company whose knowledge lives only in the owner's head is worth less, and how to document processes, clients and decisions without red tape.

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  8. Preparing an internal successor: growing a leader from your own team

    How to spot a credible internal successor, test them on real responsibility, and build a two- to three-year development plan before handing over.

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  9. What a Succession Diagnosis Delivers, and Why It Comes First

    Why every SME succession should begin with an honest assessment: ten dimensions of succession readiness, your biggest bottleneck, and your next 90 days.

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  10. Ten dimensions of a succession ready company

    A self assessment for SME owners: ten readiness dimensions a buyer or successor will test, from management depth to timeline, and how to act on them.

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