Updated 28 October 2026
Buyers don't pay for effort. They pay for a business that's easy to understand, easy to trust and easy to run without you. A year of quiet preparation is often the most valuable work an owner ever does on their business.
Months 12 to 9: get the numbers right
- Separate personal and business spending, and keep a list of anything personal that has run through the books.
- Ask an independent accountant to review your financial statements.
- Bring tax filings up to date and close any open queries with SARS.
- Start producing simple monthly management accounts if you don't already.
Months 9 to 6: reduce the risks
- Win new customers so that no single customer is more than a fifth of sales.
- Put customers on written contracts — ideally for a year or longer.
- Line up a second supplier for anything critical.
- Make sure leases, licences and registrations are in the company's name.
Months 6 to 3: step back
- Promote or hire someone to run the day-to-day.
- Write down how the important work gets done.
- Introduce your team to your key customers and let them own those relationships.
- Take a two-week holiday and see what breaks. Fix it.
Months 3 to 0: package it
- Gather every important document into one private online folder.
- Write down a simple three-year growth plan a buyer could follow.
- Get a proper value range so you know what a good offer looks like.
- Decide what you want after the sale: how long you'll stay, what happens to your team.
