You’ve sold the business.
The grind is over.
Your calendar’s wide open, and your bank account finally reflects all those late nights and sacrifices.
But let’s be honest—this next chapter is unfamiliar territory.
Financial planning after a business exit isn’t just about what to invest in. It’s about managing opportunity, protecting what you’ve earned, and building a life that feels aligned.
Here’s a framework I often walk clients through when they come to me asking, “Now what?”
✅ Step 1: Build Your Financial Team (Think Like a Boardroom)
You no longer need to wear every hat.
Start by assembling a team with these core roles:
- Wealth Advisor – Specializes in liquidity events and long-term investment strategy.
- Tax Strategist – Not just a CPA—someone proactive who can structure things like capital gains mitigation, QSBS (if applicable), and charitable tax vehicles.
- Estate Planner – Helps with wills, trusts, and asset transfers to protect your family.
- Business Coach or Transition Coach – Someone who can help clarify what success looks like next.
This isn’t just delegation—it’s leverage. Build your personal board the same way you built your leadership team.
✅ Step 2: Reassess Your Net Worth & Risk Profile
Post-sale, your balance sheet changes overnight.
Here’s what to do immediately:
- Create a new personal balance sheet: What are your assets, liabilities, and liquidity levels today?
- Adjust your risk tolerance: You may no longer need high-risk bets to create wealth. You’re now in preservation or moderate-growth mode.
- Get a full cash flow picture: How much do you need annually to maintain your lifestyle—and how long can you go without new income?
Tools to help:
Use platforms like Empower, Personal Capital, or sit with a CPA who can model scenarios using software like eMoney.
✅ Step 3: Allocate Using the 50-30-20 Post-Exit Rule
Here’s one allocation model we often suggest for clients not jumping straight into a new business:
- 50% Core Portfolio – Safe, diversified investments for wealth preservation (index funds, bonds, real estate, etc.)
- 30% Lifestyle & Personal Goals – Travel, passion projects, family gifts, dream purchases
- 20% Opportunity Fund – Startups, angel investments, real estate flips, or new ventures—but only once the first 50% is fully secured
You can adjust the ratios—but the mindset is: protect, enjoy, then explore.
✅ Step 4: Set Up Passive Income Streams
Now is the time to design your income instead of earning it.
Options to explore:
- Dividend-paying portfolios – Stocks or funds that generate quarterly payouts
- Rental properties or REITs – Steady cash flow without daily management
- Private lending or revenue share deals – Let your capital work in ventures you believe in
- Deferred compensation or earn-outs (if structured in your deal) – Integrate them into your income planning
Create a goal: “I want $X/month coming in without active work by year 2 post-sale.”
✅ Step 5: Revisit Tax Strategy Annually
Selling a business isn’t a one-and-done tax event.
Ask your tax strategist about:
- Installment sale structures – If you can defer part of your gain and reduce your upfront tax hit
- Charitable remainder trusts (CRTs) – Reduce capital gains and create a lifetime income stream
- Roth conversions – Now that you might be in a lower income bracket, it might be the best time to convert traditional retirement funds into tax-free Roth IRAs
And if you’re still in the year of your sale—timing matters. Strategic giving or deferring income could save six figures.
✅ Step 6: Plan for Generational Impact
With liquidity comes legacy.
You don’t need to think about “leaving it all behind”—but do think about how wealth will show up in your family’s life.
Ask yourself:
- Do I want to fund college, home down payments, or business ventures for my kids?
- Should I create a family trust or private foundation?
- What lessons about money and values do I want to pass down?
Work with an estate planner and coach to ensure the wealth is as intentional as it is sustainable.
Final Thought:
Selling your business isn’t the end of your journey—it’s just the start of a new one, where money doesn’t dictate what you have to do, but fuels what you choose to do.
Financial freedom post-sale isn’t about never working again.
It’s about never working out of need again.
So before you chase the next opportunity… pause, plan, and be intentional.
If you’re feeling pulled in a dozen directions or unsure how to navigate this new season—I’d be honored to help. At Being in Action Coaching, we don’t just coach for goals, we coach for alignment, clarity, and fulfillment.
Let’s map what’s next—together.
