Protecting Business Value: Key People, Shareholders and Exit Readiness
Watch a practical discussion of key-person dependence, shareholder protection and continuity planning, with prompts accountants and advisors can use to start more useful client conversations.
Gaye from VFD Pro and Tom from Broadbench discuss how advisors can recognise continuity risks, ask useful questions and bring in specialist support.
What you will learn
- Recognise where revenue, knowledge or client relationships depend on one person.
- Distinguish keeping the business trading from providing for owners and their families.
- Explore shareholder ownership questions and agree how funds would be used after a claim.
- Use existing reviews to raise the issue and involve a specialist where needed.
Webinar chapters
Select a timestamp to watch that part of the recording on this page.
Introduction: protecting business value
Why business continuity involves more than an insurance payout.
Business continuity and succession planning
Recognise dependence on key individuals and the need for a plan.
The accountant’s role in raising awareness
Help clients recognise issues and introduce specialist support.
Signals and opportunities for a conversation
Consider profit concentration, key people, borrowing and changes in the business.
Affordability and protection costs
Discussion of cost concerns and personally funded versus company-funded arrangements.
Keeping the business trading
Consider the operational consequences of a key person’s absence.
Sole-director and shareholder scenarios
Explore different exposures for the business, its owners and their families.
Ownership, team protection and the payout plan
Discuss shareholder control, key-person dependence and intended use of funds.
Policy wording and specialist advice
Why clarity, disclosure and expectations matter.
Build prompts into existing client reviews
Use onboarding, reviews and business changes to raise relevant questions.
Review protection in your own practice
Apply the same continuity questions to your own business.
Benefits, trusted conversations and resources
A discussion of employer benefits, client education and the conversation-starter guide.
Calculators, downloads and next steps
An illustrative walkthrough of the resource page and how to make contact.
Closing discussion
Final reflections on acting before circumstances change.
Who should watch?
Accountants in practice, practice owners, fractional finance directors, CFOs and business advisors who want to raise continuity and ownership questions with business owners.
Take the conversation further
Read the practical guide: how to start business protection conversations with clients.
Presentation and supporting resources
Use the Broadbench resource page for VFD Pro to find the presentation and supporting material introduced in the session. This link opens the resource page, rather than a direct PDF download.
