Sunshine Coast and Brisbane Accountants - Clarke McEwan Accountants and Business Advisorrs
Sunshine Coast and Brisbane Accountants - Clarke McEwan Accountants and Business Advisorrs

Selling your business: what happens once you exit?

Clarke McEwan Accountants

You’ve completed the sale of your business! Now there’s an important question to ask yourself – what happens next and how do I see the next chapter of my life panning out?


In this series, we’ve given you all the advice you need to plan your exit, add value to the business, negotiate a great deal and define your new pathway once the business is sold.


So, let’s explore how your journey might look once the sale is complete.


Exiting your business is a big deal. You’ve spent years taking this enterprise from startup to established business, putting your heart and soul into making this company a success.


So once the ink is dry on the sale contract and the money is in the bank, you’re going to need a new challenge to fill the void of no longer being ‘the big boss’


Here are five potential pathways to take:


Retirement


After all these years of hard work and pressure, maybe it’s time to enjoy some well-deserved retirement? If you’re planning to retire and put your feet up, put some thought into factors such as financial planning, hobbies you might want to explore and travels you might want to go on – ensuring you have a comfortable lifestyle.


Invest in other businesses


If you want to keep some business interests alive, why not explore opportunities to invest in other businesses or new startups. This can provide a source of income and allows you to stay engaged in the business world, using your wealth of experience and management skill to guide other promising companies.


Start a new venture


If you’re itching to try another new business idea, why not use the profits from your sale to found a new business or venture. This might be a new private business, or even a social enterprise that reflects your current passions and interests. Having learned your mistakes first time around, you have the knowledge and experience to turn business #2 into another great success story. 


Become a non-executive director (NED)


If you don’t want the hassle of being the boss, but want to keep your hand in, becoming an NED makes good sense. You can use your experience and expertise to contribute to the governance and strategic direction of other companies, while keeping your own business skills fresh and up to date.


Get philanthropic


Why not use your wealth and new-found free time to do something good for your community? Think about giving back to society through charity work, philanthropic activities or setting up a social enterprise. It’s a fulfilling way to make a positive impact while also giving you a challenge to get your teeth into.


Talk to us about planning your post-sale lifestyle


Some ex-business owners enjoy the comforts and relaxation of retired life, while others get itchy feet and want to return to their entrepreneurial roots as soon as possible.


Talk to our team and tell us about your post-sale plans. We can help you plan your lifestyle, set up your wealth management strategy and open up new business opportunities along the way.


Federal Budget 2025-26: what it means for your small business
By Clarke McEwan March 29, 2025
The Treasurer, Jim Chalmers, delivered the Federal Budget on 25 March. But what’s in the Budget for small business owners? We’ve got the lowdown on the main opportunities. #FederalBudget #Budget #businesstips
By Clarke McEwan March 21, 2025
As your accountant, we won't just look after the financial side of your business, we can also advise you on the strategic side of your company, including the importance of business development as vital part of your growth plan. Business development (BD) is what helps your company move from slow, organic growth to fast-paced, hypergrowth. And it’s only by putting the right drive and expertise behind your BD that you can turn your strategic ideas into real success stories. So, how can we help you achieve this? Talk to you about your strategic goals The starting point for any kind of BD activity is to pin down your goals and aims as a business. When you know what you want to achieve over the coming months, it’s far easier to define a strategy for success. And that’s easier to do when you talk to an objective adviser, like us. We can sit in on your board meetings, talk to your executive team and get a real handle on what makes the business tick. And, armed with this knowledge, we’ll work with you to drive the direction of your BD and find the best opportunities for you to focus on. Help you create a clear BD strategy and plan Having a defined set of BD goals is a good starting point. But to put this all into action in a productive way, you’re going to need a comprehensive plan for your BD projects. Our years of experience advising business leaders and their teams really comes into play here. We know the best routes to take, the budgets that will be needed and the right tactics for bringing in more contracts, sales and partnerships. By putting these strategies into a clear plan, and linking this to agreed timescales, you have a BD route map to follow and action. Introduce you to a broader network of business partners We work with a wide range of businesses across many different sectors, industries and niches. By introducing you to our network of clients, we welcome you into a supportive community of like-minded business owners. And that’s excellent news when looking for new partnerships. Whether it’s attending a local conference, an online webinar or one of our in-house client events, you’re going to meet new people, share new ideas and make the right connections. This is a great way to build alliances and work together with other local businesses. And when you’re well-connected, you set the very best foundations for your future BD activity. Provide better routes to funding and investment Whatever goals you’ve set for your BD projects, it’s likely that you’re going to need additional funding to finance this activity. Investing in your expansion, or new partnerships, is vital to getting a good return on your BD, so great access to finance is a definite bonus. We’ll advise you on the most appropriate funding channels and how you can use these facilities to finance your BD plans. And we can also link you up with banks, lenders and business finance specialists – so you get the advice and finance you need to bring your BD to life. Help you track and measure your BD performance Meeting your BD targets takes time – and a whole lot of dedication. Measuring your BD performance over time, helps you stay on track and gives you a good indication of how well you’re tracking against your planned progress. We’ll help you create the reporting and metrics you need, so you have clear data to track your progress over time. You can log your activity in your project management system, or your client relationship management (CRM) software, and keep clear notes on contacts made, relationships built and targets converted etc. If you want to get more from your BD, please do get in touch. We’ll partner with you to put some real drive, experience and impetus behind your BD strategies.
By Clarke McEwan March 13, 2025
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By Clarke McEwan March 13, 2025
Global Google searches for the word “tariffs” spiked dramatically between 30 January and 2 February 2025, a +900% increase to the previous 12 months. We look at what tariffs really mean. Who pays for tariffs? Tariffs increase the price of imported goods and reduce trade flows of that good or service. Traditionally used to protect specific domestic industries by reducing competition, tariffs increase the price of foreign competitors and reduce demand. In his first term, President Trump imposed a 25% global tariff on steel and a 10% tariff on aluminium (which Australia managed to reduce to zero with supply limits imposed instead). The impact was reportedly a 2.4% increase in the price of aluminium and 1.6% increase in the price of steel in the domestic US market. The cost of tariffs is not borne by overseas suppliers but indirectly through a reduction in trade and domestically through higher prices, particularly where those goods and services are common. For the US however, the negative impact of tariffs will be felt less abruptly than many of its trading partners as trade only represents around 24% of US gross domestic product (GDP) – whereas trade accounts for 67% of Canda’s GDP. Where we are at with US trade tariffs While talking to shock jock Joe Rogan during his election campaign, Donald Trump stated, “this country can become rich with the proper use of tariffs.” In his second week of office, President Trump used emergency powers to curb the “extraordinary threat” of illegal aliens, drugs and fentanyl into the US, by imposing the following tariffs : · Canada - 25% additional tariff on imports from Canada (except energy resources that have a reduced 10% additional tariff). Canada responded by imposing its own 25% tariffs on a range of predominantly agricultural products and household goods. Canada is a trading nation and exports represent two-thirds of its GDP. In 2023, the US represented 77% of Canada’s total goods export. · Mexico - 25% additional tariff on imports from Mexico . Mexico has responded with its own 25% tariff on US goods. · China - 20% additional tariff on imports from China. The US trade deficit was over $900bn in 2024 of which China accounts for around $270bn. The additional tariff on postal shipments from China to the US has since been temporarily suspended for items with a value under $800 until the US postal service is able to collect the tariff. China’s response has been to impose additional tariffs on certain US imports including a targeted 15% tariff on agricultural products including chicken, wheat, corn and cotton, and a 10% tariff on fruit, vegetables, dairy products, pork, beef and sorghum. Export controls have been placed on some critical minerals. In addition, China has filed a complaint to the World Trade Organization. Industry specific tariffs and investigations · Steel imports – from 12 March 2025, the original 25% steel tariff is set to resume without the bi-lateral agreements reached over time with many nations including Australia watering down the tariff. · Copper imports – while no actions on tariffs, the President has ordered an investigation into the threat to security of copper imports . · Imports of timber, lumber products – while no action or impositions as yet, the President has ordered an investigation into the threat to security of imports of timber, lumber and derivative products such as paper. · US tech giants – it seems that the President is concerned by digital services taxes (DST) imposed on US technology companies and has vowed to respond with tariffs and other measures. Australia does not impose a DST and instead is aligned to the OECD reforms of digital taxing rights. Will Australia face US tariffs on other goods? Australia has a large trade surplus with the US which would normally make the imposition of tariffs less likely. However, specific industries may be impacted by product or industry based tariffs, such as steel and aluminium. The largest American imports into Australia are financial services, travel services, telecoms/ computer/ information services, royalties and trucks. Australia’s largest exports to the US are financial services, gold, sheep/goat meat, transportations services and vaccines. Impacts of trade wars on Australia Australia is impacted indirectly by demand. China is Australia's largest two-way trading partner, accounting for 26% of our goods and services trade in 2023. If Chinese demand slows as a result of a trade war, Australia’s economy will slow. But there is a pattern in President Trump’s approach to international and trade relations that suggests that an all-out trade war might not occur: a bold line or policy is stated - a statement that tells a story to the US public consistent with his election sentiments; then, wound back either partially or fully after concessions have been secured or concessions stated. For Australia, there is a risk in these policy machinations that China again agrees to reduce the US trade deficit by purchasing more from the US, potentially to the detriment of Australian suppliers. For Australian business, uncertainty and volatility is the problem. Uncertainty slows the economy and impacts business revenue while at the same time, costs may increase. For those in the business of selling product manufactured and distributed from China or through other trading partners directly impacted by tariffs, watch for more supply chain issues and potential cost increases. If the US export markets retracts, there is also a risk other trading nations look to dump their products to help offset losses.
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