Exit Smart Report 2024

Secure your future with a plan

William Buck’s fifth Exit Smart Report is based on our extensive national Exit Smart Survey and measures the preparedness of Australian businesses – in a wide range of industries and at different points in their life cycle – for an exit event.

Year-on-year, our findings highlight a significant lack of preparedness among business owners, which is alarming given the most successful business exits we see at William Buck are planned well in advance; some at the time of purchase or founding.

Fortunately, this trend is on the decline, indicating that business owners and operators are beginning to understand the importance of exit planning.

What’s new in 2024?

What’s less encouraging in 2024 is that most respondents noted a general lack of consideration around structuring their business for a tax-effective sale and how to fund their post-sale lifestyle with the proceeds. Alarmingly, only three in 10 have had their business valued in the last three years.

In response, we’ve compiled a report to help bridge the gap between your goals as business owners and the steps required to reach them. Exploring tax-effective structuring, how to generate value in the years before an exit event, and the many pathways available to you when exiting, our Exit Smart Report 2024 takes a holistic approach to setting your business up for a successful exit and provides actionable insights you can implement at every stage of its life cycle.

William Buck Exit Smart Report 2024 - edits round 2 1

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Key findings

38%

of business owners have a very good understanding of the drivers in their business that generate value

66%

of owners have not had their business valued in the last three years

60%

of owners have considered whether their post-sale lifestyle will be adequately funded

76%

of business owners plan to exit within the next 10 years

(up from last year at 72%)

48%

of owners say retirement will be the key driver to exit their business

(up from last year at 42%)

5 of 10

business owners do not have a plan to exit their business

(down from 6 in 10 last year)

Case study – SA Mobile Compressed Air

“The transaction unfolded just as William Buck said it would. They explained the process to us very clearly right from the onset, very professionally. Once they’d laid out a plan, they stuck to it and were persistent with it and we really appreciated that given the excellent outcome.” – Byron Hughes.