Selling a Business

From business owner to wealth owner: without losing momentum

Why business sales require more than just a buyer

Selling a business is rarely just a transaction.

It’s often the culmination of decades of work, risk, reinvestment and resilience. But when the deal finally lands, a new challenge begins: how to protect the wealth you’ve created, and how to make it work for you moving forward.

At Centurion Private Wealth, we help successful business owners turn a once-in-a-lifetime liquidity event into a long-term financial strategy.

What happens when you sell a business

A business sale doesn’t just deliver capital: it unlocks complexity. You may face:

  • A sudden liquidity event: years of illiquid equity converted into cash, shares or staged earn-outs.

  • Tax pressure: CGT concessions, small business rollovers, trust distributions and company structures — all with tight timelines and strategic consequences.

  • Lifestyle changes: leaving behind identity, routine and purpose, while asking “what’s next?”

  • Investment inexperience: business owners are used to reinvesting in their own ventures, but public markets, property syndicates or private credit are unfamiliar.

  • A blank slate: no regular income, no board meetings, no forward plan — unless you create one.

Mistakes we see (and help avoid)

  • Leaving planning too late: the best strategies start 12–24 months before a deal, not after.

  • Underestimating tax: CGT missteps can cost six or seven figures unnecessarily.

  • Reckless reinvestment: leaping into property or private deals without strategy often repeats old risks.

  • No income strategy: a large balance doesn’t guarantee sustainable cash flow.

What we help with

Centurion Private Wealth partners with business owners before and after exit to capture, structure and grow wealth for the long term. Our services include:

  • Pre-sale financial modelling and scenario planning

  • Capital Gains Tax (CGT) strategies and small business concessions

  • Asset protection and estate planning

  • Structuring proceeds for tax efficiency and investment readiness

  • Income and cash flow strategy post-exit

  • Portfolio design across public and private markets

  • Transition planning for retirement, sabbaticals or your next venture

Whether you are still negotiating or already holding the cheque, we help you convert capital into clarity.

The Centurion Approach

Understanding Your Holistic Financial Situation
We start by mapping your complete wealth picture — assets, liabilities, income streams, and obligations — so we can see exactly how your inheritance fits into, and reshapes, the bigger picture.

Planning for Tax Optimisation and Asset Structuring
From capital gains to cross-jurisdictional issues, we identify the potential pitfalls early. Then we design the right ownership structures and tax strategies to maximise the opportunity while keeping more of what’s yours.

Cash Flow and Lifestyle Planning
We align the use of your inheritance with the life you want to live — now and in the future. That means making sure the flow of capital supports your lifestyle goals without jeopardising your long-term security.

Implementation and Ongoing Stewardship
We execute the plan with precision — coordinating legal, accounting, and investment decisions — and then continue to refine your strategy as your needs, markets, and laws evolve.

FAQs about selling a business

  • Ideally 12–24 months before. That’s when tax, trust and structuring strategies can be implemented without contractual limits.

  • Yes. There are CGT discounts, concessions and rollovers available — particularly for small business owners. Early planning is essential.

  • That’s common. We’ll design a personalised investment strategy that reflects your goals, lifestyle and risk tolerance.

Selling a business? Now it’s time to secure the real return on your life’s work.

Centurion Private Wealth helps high-net-worth business owners transform complex exits into long-term wealth strategies — with clarity, confidence and control.

Book a strategic consultation today and future-proof your next chapter.