Life After the Deal: Planning Your Next Chapter

May 11, 2025•2 min read

One sentence takeaway: a clear post-sale plan for money, time, and purpose prevents seller’s remorse and turns proceeds into a fulfilling second act.

1 Secure the money first

Build a personal balance sheet

• List every asset and liability you will hold the day after completion.
• Include sale proceeds, pension pots, property, and any seller-finance note.

Ring-fence liquidity

• Keep twelve months of family spending in instant-access cash.
• Park the rest in short-term gilts or a money-market fund while you weigh options.

Assemble a wealth team

• Independent financial planner
• Private-client solicitor
• Tax adviser who understands CGT reliefs and offshore wrappers

2 Design your ideal week

Write Monday through Sunday on a blank sheet. Block where you will spend time on:
• Family and relationships
• Health and fitness
• Learning or mentoring
• Community or charity work
• Any new commercial project

If the calendar looks empty, add two trial commitments before boredom creeps in.

3 Choose a new purpose

Option A Passive investor

• Angel rounds or EIS funds with set cheque sizes.
• Clear criteria: sector, ticket, expected return.

Option B Hands-on portfolio CEO

• Buy a minority stake in a smaller firm.
• Work two days a week on strategy, not ops.

Option C Total unplug

• Gap year with family.
• Complete a degree or craft course.

Purpose can evolve. Commit for twelve months, then review.

4 Protect mental health

• Expect an adrenaline dip four to six weeks after completion.
• Schedule weekly exercise and social contact before it hits.
• Join a mastermind or peer group of former owners.

5 Guard the legacy you left behind

• Ask for quarterly board packs for the first year if covenants allow.
• Offer optional mentoring hours to your old leadership team.
• Celebrate shared milestones publicly to reinforce goodwill.

Quick self-check

Do you know your annual family spending to the nearest ten per cent?
Have you diarised non-work commitments for the first three months post-sale?
Is a vetted wealth team ready to act within thirty days of completion?
Have you written one paragraph on why you sold and what comes next?

Next step

Draft a one-page life-after-exit plan covering finances, calendar, and personal mission. Review it with your spouse and adviser before the money lands so you enter the next chapter on purpose, not by accident.

life after selling a business

Mark Guy Gerard Camilleri

I’m an SME investor with a background in social housing and over five years of experience working closely with government bodies to provide safe, high-quality housing for vulnerable communities. Through this work, I’ve developed a deep understanding of the essential services that support the housing sector — from pest control to electrical, plumbing, and HVAC services. My current focus is on acquiring and scaling established businesses in these core areas, especially those with strong local reputations and long-standing customer relationships. I’m not a corporate buyer looking to strip away what makes a business special. I take a human, collaborative approach to M&A — whether that means a full exit for the owner, a phased transition, or finding ways to work together post-sale to grow the business. If you’re a business owner thinking about the next chapter, I’d love to have a no-pressure conversation about what that could look like — and whether there’s a way we can align.