06/02/2026
If you're selling your business in 12 months, do these 8 things now:
1) Get a real valuation.
-> Know what it's actually worth, not what you hope it's worth.
-> Understand asset sale vs. stock sale (they're not taxed the same).
-> Clean up the books before a buyer's accountant does it for you.
2) Decide where the proceeds land.
A seven-figure liquidity event in a single year is a tax problem you solve before closing, not after. Installment sales, QSBS, charitable structures — the moves made while the ink is still wet are the ones that count.
3) Figure out your paycheck after the paycheck stops.
The income ends the day you sign. (You'd be amazed how many owners never ask what they'll live on. The business was the plan.)
4) Map two tax years, not one.
The sale year and the year after often look nothing alike. That gap is where Roth conversions and bracket management quietly live.
5) De-risk your personal balance sheet.
If 80% of your net worth is locked inside one company, you're not diversified — you're exposed with extra steps.
6) Update your estate documents.
-> Wills
-> Powers of attorney
-> Buy-sell agreements
-> Beneficiary designations
7) Lock in the people who make it run.
Stay bonuses and retention agreements protect the value you spent years building. A buyer is paying for the team, not just the logo.
8) Plan your identity, not just your money.
Test what a Tuesday feels like when nobody's calling you for the answer. (The money question gets solved in an afternoon. The "who am I now" question takes longer.)
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📍P.S. If you want to reach the closing table knowing nothing slipped through, we'll put a second set of eyes on the whole picture — deal, taxes, and what comes after.
Book your meeting with us here: https://calendly.com/cbekanich01
