John Warrillow's Built to Sell is a short business fable with one test at its heart: if you were not here, would this still work? That is also the estate planning test. A business that depends entirely on its owner is not an asset that can be passed on — it is a job...
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Business Relief Estate Planning for Owners
A successful business can be the asset that gives a family security for decades. It can also create some of the most difficult decisions in an estate. If you own a trading company, a family firm, a professional practice or a rural business, business relief estate...
Built to Sell by John Warrillow — How to Build a Business That Does Not Depend on You
Why This Book Belongs on an Estate Planner's Shelf John Warrillow's Built to Sell is written as a short business fable: Alex owns a struggling advertising agency, discovers that no buyer wants it, and rebuilds it into something saleable with the help of a blunt mentor...
TLDR: The Loneliness of Business Ownership
Employees have managers, managers have directors, directors have a board. The owner has nobody — while carrying the guarantees, the payroll and every decision. Most UK owners describe running a business as isolating, and many say they have no one at all they can be...
The Loneliness of Ownership — Why Business Owners Carry Decisions Alone, and What It Costs Them
The Question Nobody Asks the Owner Employees have managers. Managers have directors. Directors have a board. The owner has nobody — and yet the owner is the person carrying the personal guarantee, the payroll, the lease, and the outcome of every decision. Ask an owner...
TLDR: The Shareholders’ Agreement Most Companies Do Not Have
Most UK SMEs with more than one shareholder never put a shareholders' agreement in place. Without one, the Companies Act and model articles decide what happens — and the defaults are poor. Shares pass to the deceased's family under their Will, so you can end up in...
Will Trust Comparison: Which Protects Your Estate?
A will trust comparison is not simply a choice between two documents. For many homeowners, landlords and business owners, the right answer is a will supported by one or more carefully chosen trusts. Each has a different job: a will directs what happens when you die,...
The Shareholders’ Agreement Most UK Companies Do Not Have — And What Happens Without One
The Document Everyone Means to Sort Out Two people start a company. They incorporate online, take fifty shares each, use the default model articles, and get on with the work. Five, ten, fifteen years later the business is worth a serious amount of money — and the...
TLDR: New Trust Registration Rules From 30 June 2026
Amended money laundering regulations changed the Trust Registration Service rules on 30 June 2026. Some non-UK trusts with UK links are now caught for the first time, while genuinely low-risk trusts get new easements. Because it cuts both ways, every trust needs...
Free Estate Planning Guide
Learning how to protect your assets can feel like an overwhelming topic. Our FREE Estate Planning Guide will help you to understand the process and how to get started.