What it is: Introduce an income and remuneration model for the entire business (owners and employees whilst also ensuring the owner’s personal financial goals and retirement needs are secured.
Why it matters: Most owners have the majority of their wealth tied up in the business.
What we see: Income attached to equity and not role/responsibility, lack of market benchmarking of income levels, resentment at inequitable income arrangements (for example all partners are paid equally but do not contribute equally) , use of complicated incentive models that do not encourage the right behaviours, discretionary bonus models, lack of key performance measurement models using KPIs linked to income, = RESENTMENT.
Key Focus Areas:
Example: A boutique legal firm structured its sale with a 3-year earn-out tied to client retention, ensuring the founder’s income while incentivising the buyers.
What it is: Defines who makes decisions, how authority is transferred, and when control shifts from founder to successors.
Why it matters: Retaining too much control delays transition; giving up too early causes instability.
What we see: Unclear management succession models (or no model at all), ownership equates to control - all partners are on the board for example, no corporate governance model, no external NED representation, lack of employee engagement or participation in decision making, chaos in the unplanned events context = FRUSTRATION.
Key Focus Areas:
Example: A consulting firm used a phased control transfer over 18 months, supported by an advisory board and leadership coaching. This reduced founder dependency and improved team morale.
What it is: Equity refers to how ownership is structured and how value is extracted or transferred.
Why it matters: Poor equity planning leads to disputes, tax inefficiencies, and transition delays.
What we see: Lack of clear pathway to equity for younger aspiring professionals, uncertainty about valuation - buyer is low and seller is high with no clarity around actual market value (formulas in agreements are being found lacking and often do not hold up in a dispute), older owners “hanging on too long”, an equity block where equity is held by a smaller number of owners who are no longer contributing, younger professionals who aspire to ownership leave due to uncertainty of timeframe, inability to exit retiring owners - no longer working but holding equity, lack of focus on building realisable equity value = LACK OF CLARITY.
Key Focus Areas:
Example: A staged equity model outlines equity allocation tied to business milestones, ensuring founders and contributors are rewarded proportionally. Similarly, the reports show employee-owned firms consistently outperform market benchmarks.
What it is: The firm’s ability to preserve value if the owner exits unexpectedly due to illness, death, or other events.
Why it matters: Half of all business exits are unplanned. Without contingency plans, firms risk catastrophic value loss.
What we see: Unclear or outdated agreements leading to uncertainty, incomplete or inadequate funding arrangements - under-insurance due to costs or inaction, disagreement around valuation, lack of management succession leading to disputes around control and operations, family members and other stakeholders not informed around outcomes = UNCERTAINTY.
Key Focus Areas:
Example: A mid-sized engineering consultancy implemented SOPs and leadership backups after a founder’s health scare. The firm-maintained client confidence and avoided revenue dips.
To implement the I.C.E.U.™ model in your firm using the Succession Plus 21-Step Business Succession and Exit Planning Model, you can align each I.C.E.U.™ pillar with the relevant stages and steps from the Succession Plus framework. Here's a practical guide:
Goal: Secure the owner’s financial future after exit.
Succession Plus Alignment:
Practical Actions:
Goal: Define how and when control transitions from founder to successors.
Succession Plus Alignment:
Practical Actions:
Goal: Structure ownership and ensure value is realised effectively.
Succession Plus Alignment:
Practical Actions:
Goal: Ensure business continuity in case of unexpected exits.
Succession Plus Alignment:
Practical Actions:
The I.C.E.U.™ model is not just a succession framework - it’s a strategic lens for building resilient, valuable, and legacy-driven professional services firms. Whether you're a founder planning retirement or a partner preparing for growth, I.C.E.U.™ helps you ask the right questions and take the right actions.
✅ And to kick-start it all, begin with small but powerful steps - Steps 1 to 3 of the 21-Step Framework. It All Begins with Insights.
These first steps help you build clarity around what you want, what’s in place, and what needs to improve, giving you a solid foundation to move forward with confidence.