The Strategic Exit Programme – Stress-testing the engine

Guiding SME Founders, Owners, and Directors through confident, well-planned exits.

The 6-Month Focus

While a premium exit is built over years, it can be lost in days during due diligence. This second session moves from high-level strategy to operational reality. We focus on “Stress-Testing the Engine”, identifying the friction points and legal vulnerabilities that lead to price-chipping or deal failure at the eleventh hour.

Why this session?

The goal of this session is to view your business through the critical lens of a buyer’s legal and financial team. We explore how to evidence your “Innovation Culture” and ensure that your most valuable assets, your contracts, your intellectual property, and your people, are contractually secured and ready for transfer.

We move beyond the balance sheet to address the “Skeletons in the Closet,” from statutory compliance to data security, ensuring your business is not just successful, but “deal-clean.”

Introducing our speakers

• Richard Ross – With over 30 years’ advisory experience, helping business owners navigate succession, exit planning, and long‑term value creation.
• James Bacon – A Chartered Financial Planner, helping clients align their money with their values to build and protect long‑term wealth.

In partnership with Ashtons Legal

• Nick Palmer– A Partner in the corporate and commercial team, advising owners on de-risking operations, assignable contracts, and legal readiness.
• Richard Guy – A Partner in the lifetime planning team, protecting wealth post-exit through robust trusts, inheritance tax mitigation, and inter-generational structures.

What this is…

A supportive peer environment. We believe the real value lies in small, closed-group discussions. To maintain a safe space for leaders at a similar stage, we limit each cohort to a maximum of 15 participants. You will test ideas and gain perspective alongside peers who understand the unique weight of ownership.

What this is not…

… a retirement seminar!

Is this for you?

This session is for founders who want to ensure the value they have built isn’t eroded by avoidable legal or operational “skeletons.” If you are ready to identify potential concerns before a buyer does, register your interest to find out more and reserve your place.