For business owners · Durham, Chapel Hill and across North Carolina

Someone mentioned a number for the company. Here is what you would actually keep.

The number sounds like retirement. After the debt, the deal costs, federal and North Carolina tax, a $5,000,000 sale leaves $3,068,925, and that is before you decide what the money has to do for the next thirty years. Most owners sell once. The buyer and the buyer’s advisors do it for a living.

James Ustby, CFP®, APMA® · Wealth Advisor, LPL Financial

I work with owners one to ten years from a sale, alongside your CPA and your attorney, from eight Fidelity Bank branches in Durham, Chapel Hill and nearby. I wrote Before You Sell for this exact moment. Verify me first: my CFP Board record and BrokerCheck.

Show me where I stand: the free scorecardBook the free 30-minute second opinion

The scorecard is twenty-five statements across six areas buyers look at, scored in ten minutes. Email only, no phone number.

What will I actually keep?

Less than the headline, and the gap is mostly decided before the price is. Whether it is an asset sale or a stock sale, how much is paid at closing versus an earnout or a seller note, and what your basis is can move the after-tax number by hundreds of thousands of dollars on the same price. The ledger above is the plain case. The first thing I do is run your numbers the way the buyer’s side will run them, so you walk into the negotiation knowing what each structure leaves you.

What has to change before I sign anything?

Usually five things, and they take one to three years, not one to three weeks: three years of clean financials a CPA has reviewed; no customer over about 15 percent of revenue; a business that runs thirty days without you; the owner retirement plan funded while you still have earned income (a solo or safe harbor 401(k), profit sharing, or a cash balance plan can move six figures a year out of the company and off the table before a sale); and the entity, beneficiary and estate documents matching what you intend. The scorecard tells you which of the five is your problem.

What does working with you cost?

The first conversation is free: thirty minutes, in person at a branch, by phone or by video, and you leave with the three things worth looking at next, in writing. After that I am paid through LPL Financial by planning fees, advisory fees, and commissions on insurance products, all disclosed in writing before any engagement. I pay no referral fees and receive none. Your CPA keeps the return, your attorney keeps the documents, and both see the plan summary before you do.

Already signed the letter of intent? Put the real deal terms into the sale calculator, then book the call before the wire lands; the first ninety days after closing set the tax bill for the year.

Each lesson answers a single question you would ask a planner, in the order a planner would want you to ask them.

• October 19, 2026

  How does an installment sale spread capital gains tax?

  An installment sale lets a seller report gain as payments arrive. That can keep more gain in lower brackets, but a note over $5 million adds interest.

• October 18, 2026

  Asset sale vs stock sale: which costs the seller more in tax?

  An asset sale usually costs the seller more. It can turn part of the gain into ordinary income and, for a C corporation, tax the same gain twice.

• October 17, 2026

  What is exit planning and when should a business owner start?

  Exit planning is the work of turning a business into after-tax wealth on your terms. Many of the moves that matter need three to five years of lead time.

• October 15, 2026

  What should you do with the money after you sell your business?

  Set aside the tax first, park the rest somewhere safe and boring, and give yourself 90 days to plan. On a $5,000,000 sale the tax can top $1.2 million.

• October 11, 2026

  How do I value a closely held business before a sale?

  Fair market value is what a willing buyer would pay a willing seller with full facts. Three approaches, a table, and the IRS rules that frame the work.

• October 10, 2026

  What is a cash balance plan and how much can an owner put in?

  A cash balance plan is a pension that can let an older, high-earning owner set aside far more than a 401(k) allows. Here are the 2026 limits and the math.

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Questions people ask next

What is exit planning for a business owner?

Exit planning is the work of deciding, before a sale or other liquidity event, what the business may be worth to different buyers, how deal structure can change after-tax proceeds, and what your household needs the proceeds to do. It is planning, not a promise of a sale price. Tax and legal questions belong with your CPA and attorney.

When should an owner start planning an exit?

Often one to ten years before a possible sale. Earlier work can affect how you pay yourself, which retirement plan you use, and how concentrated your net worth is inside the company. Waiting until a letter of intent arrives leaves less room to change those pieces.

What is a solo 401(k), and how is it different from a SEP IRA?

A solo 401(k) is a retirement plan for a business with no employees other than the owner (and a spouse). It can allow both employee deferrals and an employer contribution. A SEP IRA is usually simpler and employer-contribution only. Which fits depends on your income, age, and whether you have employees. Contribution limits change each year; check the current IRS figures.

What should I think about after selling a business?

A liquidity event changes taxes, cash flow, and how concentrated your wealth is, often in the same month. Common planning topics include what the proceeds are for, how they will pay you over time, and who they are for after you. None of that is one-size-fits-all; it depends on the deal and your household.

Do you work with my CPA and attorney?

Yes. Planning around a sale or owner retirement plan is coordinated with your CPA and attorney. This site is educational. It is not tax, legal, or investment advice for your situation.