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Most exit planning starts with the assumption that the owner gets to choose the moment. You decide when you're ready to retire, spend a few years getting the business prepared, find the right buyer or successor, then gradually step back on a timetable that works for you. It is a logical way to think about succession, but it isn't always how business ownership works. Recent Australian research found that around 40% of small business owners surveyed had previously experienced a

What happens when the next generation does not want the life that came with the business? Many family-business succession plans begin with the owner deciding who should eventually take over. Far fewer begin by asking whether that person genuinely wants to. The assumption can sit quietly inside a family for years. A son has worked in the business since leaving school, so everyone assumes he will eventually run it. A daughter has the strongest commercial skills, so the parents

The tax news for business owners just got better. On 26 June 2026, the government's tax reform package received Royal Assent — it's now law, not a proposal sitting in a discussion paper. Buried in it is a change that matters directly to you: the 50% active asset CGT concession — one of four small business concessions that can reduce or eliminate tax when you sell — now applies to businesses turning over up to $10 million, up from $2 million. From FY2027–28, that puts almost e

Thousands of Australian owners are approaching the point where they will sell, step back, hand over or close. For the first time, AI may make decades of business knowledge much easier to transfer before it disappears. 48% of Baby Boomer SME owners expect to exit their businesses within the next one to five years. Only 24% of Australian SME owners have a succession plan in place. 42% of Australian SMEs reported using AI earlier this year — yet only 17% later rated their workfo

There is certainly no shortage of data telling business owners they have a problem. There is, however, a real shortage of research telling them what to do about it. The gap everyone already knows about A recent survey of around 1,000 small business owners found that nearly half plan to retire within the next 10 years, but only a small share say they have a fully developed succession plan (Chase, 2026). Now that finding isn't new, in fact it shows up in study after study after

Most owners hear "deal activity is improving" and translate that into "my business will be easier to sell when I'm ready." That's the wrong read. A stronger market means more buyers are active, but more buyers just means more choices for them. And buyers with more choice don't get less careful. They get more selective. That's the real story in Ansarada's 2026 Global M&A Predictions Report. Capital is looking for opportunities, and Australia and New Zealand are seen as relativ

I spend a lot of time talking to business owners in their 50s and 60s, and it's interesting because almost every conversation eventually arrives at the same place. Someone will lean back in their chair and say, "I'd like to sell the business in a few years." For a long time, I accepted that answer at face value. I assumed selling the business was the goal. Now I'm not so sure. Once we keep talking, the real picture starts to emerge. They don't really want to sell. What they w

It’s Sunday afternoon. The office is closed, but if you are an over-50 business owner, there is a high chance your brain hasn't actually turned off since Monday morning. You’ve spent 20+ years building a regional manufacturing, trade, or logistics business. On paper, the revenue is solid. You’ve built something real. But behind closed doors, you are dealing with a brutal, exhausting pattern: Everything still runs through you. For good reasons or bad, it doesn't matter. The op

Accountants often see the warning signs before owners do... Many accountants work closely enough with business owners to notice patterns developing over time. The business may still be profitable. Cash flow may still be reasonable. Revenue may still be growing. But underneath, operational strain often becomes visible long before the owner fully acknowledges it. The Signs Usually Appear Gradually Owner dependence rarely appears overnight. It typically develops slowly as the bu

Many business owners think profit equals freedom. It doesn’t. Some businesses make good money. The owner earns a solid income. The team looks busy. Work keeps coming in. From the outside, everything appears successful. But underneath, many of these businesses are still heavily dependent on the owner to function day to day. The owner is still: Solving the major problems. Handling key relationships. Making most decisions. Approving pricing. Managing team issues. Carrying operat

Regional Australia is facing a quiet business transition problem Across regional Australia, thousands of established business owners are approaching retirement age. Many have spent decades building businesses that support: local employment apprenticeships suppliers families sporting clubs local economies regional communities These businesses are often deeply respected. But many are also heavily dependent on the owner. And that creates a problem far bigger than succession alon

Most owners think business value only matters when it is time to sell It doesn’t. The factors that increase business value are often the exact same factors that make a business easier to own, easier to manage, and less stressful to operate. That is why many business owners are surprised to discover that improving transferability and reducing owner dependence creates benefits long before any future sale. In fact, many owners eventually realise they may not even want to sell on

Balancing Big Opportunities with Critical Security Needs for Australian SMEs Artificial Intelligence (AI) isn't just a buzzword for large...