Exit Planning & Business Value Growth Webinars for SME Owners
Discover our on-demand webinar series for firms and family businesses. Learn how to align Income, Control & Equity, transition leadership, and protect your firm from unplanned events.
Three Key Succession & Continuity Webinars in One Series
Succession Plus brings you a powerful trio of webinars, designed for owners, partners, and families who want to build enduring firms. Whether you're a professional services firm, a family enterprise, or someone planning for shocks, these webinars provide actionable frameworks to manage risk, transition leadership, and preserve value.
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The I.C.E.U.™ Model: Income, Control, Equity & Unplanned Events
Learn how to structure your firm so income, control, and equity align, and build resilience against unexpected disruption.
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Family Business Succession
Navigate the unique challenges of generational transition: role overlap, family dynamics, strategic planning, and equitable exit mechanisms.
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Preparing for Unplanned Events
Develop contingency strategies for crises, unexpected exits, sudden leadership loss, or other shocks threatening your firm’s continuity.
Why Every Firm Needs Strategic Succession & Protective Planning
Succession planning isn’t just about who runs the firm next; it’s about safeguarding financial structures, protecting equity, and ensuring resilience in times of uncertainty. In this three-part series, you’ll explore:
- Integrated frameworks that align income, control, and equity
- Transition strategies for professional and family firms
- Protective measures to mitigate risk from unplanned exits
- Holistic continuity planning so your firm thrives through change
From Succession Plus: Experts in Transition & Protection
Succession Plus has designed and executed succession plans across Australia, the UK, and the U.S. Our frameworks (including ICEU) have guided firms through transitions, unplanned events, and generational shifts.
Speaker
Dr Craig West - Founder & CEO, Succession Plus
About Dr Craig West
Dr Caig West is a strategic business adviser. With over 25 years of experience advising mid-market business owners, Craig brings deep expertise in valuation, structuring, business value acceleration, and exit strategies. His proprietary 21-Step Process and Peak Performance Trust are highly regarded internationally and have been used with more than 800 businesses over 15 years. Craig's Business Succession and Exit Planning process has been launched as a digital platform for advisers through Capitaliz.
Strategic Business Adviser | Author | Thought Leader
Craig’s academic credentials include a Doctor of Business Administration awarded in July 2022 for his thesis: “Examination of the key factors driving business exit options in Australian Small and Medium Enterprises.” His research continues to inform his strategic mentoring and advisory work.
Find Answers To Common Questions Here
If you’re joining our succession and exit planning webinars, you may have a few questions about what each session covers and how they can support your plans. This section gives clear answers to the most common questions we hear from business owners.
Q1. What is the ICEU Model and who can benefit?
The I.C.E.U.™ Model is a four-part framework - Income, Control, Equity, and Unplanned events - designed to help professional services firms plan management succession, ownership change, and business continuity. This model guides firms to:
- Separate owner pay from equity and link rewards to performance
- Reduce founder dependence through stronger governance and decision rights
- Develop equitable ownership transfer strategies
- Prepare for sudden events to protect firm value and client relationships
- Map step-by-step succession plans over 12–36 months
Who benefits:
- Firm owners and equity partners planning retirement or sale
- Managing partners, practice managers, HR and people managers seeking operational continuity and talent retention
- Financial advisers, accountants, and succession planners who advise on exits and valuations
This model helps reduce founder dependence, motivates key staff, and makes ownership more transferable without disrupting clients or value.
Q2. How is family business succession different from firm succession
Family business succession differs from general firm succession mainly in its complexity due to family dynamics. In family businesses, there’s a need to balance commercial priorities with personal and emotional relationships, which often leads to more complicated governance structures. Succession planning must often account for:
- Family expectations and internal competition
- Emotional weight of legacy and personal relationships
- Navigating multiple roles (family member, shareholder, employee)
- Creating family governance mechanisms (constitutions, councils)
- Protecting both business value and family harmony
In non-family (or typical professional services) firms, succession is usually guided by commercial logic and formal governance, whereas in family businesses, legacy and emotions play a bigger role. This makes the planning process in family businesses more complex and long-term to ensure both family unity and business value are preserved.
Q3. What kinds of unplanned events should firms plan for?
Firms should plan for unplanned events such as:
- Personal issues: illness, disability, or death of key individuals
- External risks: economic downturns, cyberattacks, or natural disasters
- Owner disputes or sudden exits
To reduce risk and ensure continuity, it's important to have:
- Shareholder and buy-sell agreements
- Business continuity and crisis management plans
- Key person and buy-sell insurance
- Cybersecurity measures and digital asset protection
- Governance structures and access to objective external advisors
Over 50% of business exits are triggered by such unexpected crises, so proactive planning helps safeguard business value and stability.
Q4. Can I attend all three webinars or just one?
You can attend all three sessions or choose just one. The schedule is flexible, and you can register for what fits your needs.
- The ICEU Model covers income, control, equity, and building resilience for unexpected disruption.
- Family Business Succession guides owners through generational transition, family roles, and fair exit pathways.
- Preparing for Unplanned Events focuses on contingency planning for crises, sudden exits, and leadership loss.
Q5. How does transition planning intersect with valuation and equity?
Transition planning is deeply connected to valuation and equity - how ownership is structured, its value calculated, and how it is transferred or realised. Effective succession planning defines who will own equity, how much that equity is worth, and the process by which it is transferred, whether to family, employees, or outside buyers.
- Valuation: A robust transition plan uses consistent, transparent valuation methods to set fair buy-in and buy-out prices, reducing disputes and ensuring both outgoing and future owners have clarity and confidence.
- Equity: Sharing and transferring equity is a key aspect of succession. Plans should outline clear equity pathways for future leaders and structured ownership transitions, such as through staged buy-ins, ESOPs, or family transfers. Clear equity models keep team morale high and reduce founder dependency.
- Why it matters: Poor planning creates blocks, like owners who won't let go, young talent leaving due to unclear ownership timelines, or disputes about valuation, which lowers morale and business value.
Key focus areas include up-to-date shareholder agreements, transparent capital and equity structures, and staged equity transitions. This holistic approach enables smooth leadership changeover and protects business value.
Ready to Fortify Your Firm’s Future?
Watch our on-demand webinars today, choose the module(s) you need and access frameworks you can apply immediately.