Succession Plus Media Centre

What We Do

1 Business Valuations

2 Employee Share Ownership Plans

3 Mergers and Acquisitions

4 Keynote Presentations

5 Business Podcasts

Business Succession & Exit Planning Specialists

Succession Plus is entirely focused on designing and implementing successful exit strategies which
achieve the owners goals, release them from the business they have been so heavily invested in (in
blood, sweat and tears) and provide the financial reward they deserve, in what for many is their
greatest asset, but often the most difficult to unlock. Our international partnership is a team of highly
skilled experts who bring a wealth of experience and passion to helping business owners maximise the
value of their businesses and achieve a successful exit.

VIEW OUR CORPORATE PROFILE

Business Succession & Exit Planning Specialists

Craig West, CEO & Founder

Dr. Craig West is a leading expert in business succession and exit planning, with over a decade of experience helping business owners maximise value. As Founder and Chairman of Succession Plus, he has grown the firm into Australia’s largest in the field, with an international presence. Craig holds a Doctor of Business Administration and postgraduate degrees in tax law and finance. He was named Exit Planner of the Year in 2015 and inducted into the Exit Planning Institute’s Circle of Excellence in 2024. A published author of six books and a two-time ESOP of the Year winner, Craig also advises mid-market businesses as a Non-Executive Chairman and is a sought-after keynote speaker on exit strategies and employee ownership.

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Keynote Presenters

Succession Plus has extensive experience presenting to groups of all sizes. Over the years, our educational seminars have reached thousands of people across metropolitan and regional areas in Australia. We've delivered programs for the general public as well as corporate groups, government bodies, business associations, and networking organisations. In addition, we've developed tailored education programs, including keynote presentations, half-day workshops, and multi-part webinar series for professional associations of business advisers.

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Australian digital platform launches in North America

A local digital platform has expanded to North America.

On Thursday, Australasian business succession and exit planning advisory firm, Succession Plus, confirmed the news and said that the Capitaliz platform will help North American advisers “unlock untapped value for small to medium-sized businesses”.

Capitaliz enables automatic businesses automation, benchmarking and value enhancement guidance for advisers to deliver successful exits for their clients.

Younger staff sets firms up with succession planning

Firms seeking to put a succession plan in place would benefit from hiring younger advisers who will be at the firm for the long-term.

As many advisers left the industry, this was creating gaps that needed to be filled but there was a lack of suitable advisers available. This meant there were opportunities for younger advisers or graduates who were seeking their first role.

Let’s Talk: What is the best business advice you ever received?

“Begin with the end in mind, from The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Dr. Stephen R. Covey (habit #2). This means making sure each and every decision you make in business gets you closer to your endgame.

SME valuations hit record high of $1.4 trillion in June with more businesses looking to sell

Small and medium business valuations hit a record high of $1.4 trillion in June before the latest wave of COVID-19 lockdowns hit businesses across Australia, fresh data from Australia’s biggest succession planning advisory firm shows.

New research by Succession Plus found the total value of Australian SMEs was $1.437 trillion at the end of June, or an average of $605,079 per business. And while owners sat on record values for their businesses, many were looking to sell, with listings up 5.86% since the previous quarter.

Government releases new draft legislation for employee share schemes

The Australian government has released exposure draught legislation proposing tax and regulatory changes that will make it easier to implement ESSs.

Employee incentive schemes (ESSs) are used by employers to attract, retain, and motivate employees by issuing shares, share options, interests in shares, or other benefits resulting from shares.

Balancing the Grind with Craig West

Check out this interview on Balance the Grind and get to know more about our CEO, Craig West.

Succession Planning on the Business Excellence Podcast

Australia has a large number of baby boomer business owners that are currently heading towards or preparing for retirement with no real plan for an exit from their business.

The first thing to do is begin with the end in mind, start to think about – what does my exit look like?

Listen to this podcast to learn more.

Planning for the end

Interest in Employee Share Ownership Plans (ESOPs) has increased dramatically in the last 12 months as business owners seek to ensure their workforce is aligned, motivated and focussed amid the disruption to work arrangements brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Learn more from this Money|Management article.

Lack of 'natural pathway' for generation of advisers

The reluctance of business owners to sell their advice firms is leaving a generation of advisers unable to progress, according to Succession Plus.

Many owners were now working into their advanced years which meant there was “no natural pathway” for younger members of staff to take over the business.

Speaking to Money Management, chief executive, Craig West, said when advisers did eventually sell-up, they were often skipping a generation in their 50s and going directly to those younger staff in their 30s.

Read full article.