Business structure and succession - are you set up to support your next stage of growth?

Many businesses start with a structure that works well in the early stages, but as they grow, diversify or bring in new people and capital, those same structures can begin to create friction, inefficiencies and unintended risk. Often, the challenge is not obvious. Profits may be trapped in the wrong place, tax inefficiencies can build over time and decisions around ownership, incentives or exit become harder than they need to be. In some cases, what once felt simple can start to limit flexibility, slow growth, create barriers to investment or lead to disagreements. So, how do you know whether your current structure is still fit for purpose? And what practical steps can you take to ensure it supports your ambitions, rather than holding you back? Our experts explore the key moments when businesses should pause and reassess, and the decisions that can make the biggest difference over the long term. 03:55 – Why does structure really matter more than people might think or pay attention to as the business evolves? 05:52 – From a legal perspective, what are the key problems and challenges businesses come across? Have you got some real-life examples? 09:02 – From the tax side, what sort of problems and challenges do we see? 11:59 – When are holding companies helpful and when might a business not really need one? 13:55 – What are the legal considerations when deciding whether to have a holding company in the structure? 16:21 – Can you tell us more about the legal matters businesses should look out for as they grow, and where problems could have been pre-empted? 22:49 – What sort of things do businesses need to consider on the people front? 26:45 – On a more basic level, should businesses be reviewing employment contracts and directors' contracts? 28:45 – Any tax points to add to those warning flags? 31:55 – In what circumstances would you not include a sunset clause in a shareholder agreement when an owner-managed business is doing an MBO? 33:15 – Can we end with some practical examples or “war stories” where clients hadn't thought ahead far enough? 34:50 – Are there things that commonly come up in legal due diligence, similar to tax due diligence? 36:20 – Vicky, have you got a few war stories you want to share? 38:48 – When selling a company, how many years back do buyers typically look at?