When should you speak to a financial adviser before selling a business?
The sale date is not always the best time to start planning. Some personal decisions are easier to think through before the transaction completes.
Why speak before the sale?
A business sale can change liquidity, income, investment risk, retirement plans and family decisions at once. Starting earlier gives the adviser time to understand what the sale is supposed to achieve rather than only deciding where to invest the proceeds afterwards.
Questions to work through
Choose someone who regularly works with exits
Ask for the adviser's typical client and whether they have repeated experience with founders approaching liquidity events. A general high-net-worth label does not automatically mean business-exit experience.
Do not feel forced to invest immediately after completion
A plan can deliberately include a period of cash and decision-making. The amount of money creates urgency emotionally, but good planning should not manufacture artificial urgency.