Founders and
Entrepreneurs Hub

Helping you to build value, manage risk and exit with confidence.

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Commercial and pragmatic advice across your full business lifecycle.

Building a business is complex, and the decisions you make at each stage can have long‑term consequences, both for you personally and for your business. Our hub brings together clear and practical legal insight to support you from initial concept and early growth through to exit and life after exit.

We work alongside founders and entrepreneurs to provide commercial and pragmatic advice that reflects the realities of running and scaling a business.

We recognise that every founder and business is different. By combining our Corporate and M&A services with our Private Client capabilities, we will tailor our advice to your unique circumstances, to help you stay in control, avoid common pitfalls and make confident decisions that protect value and support sustainable success at every stage of your personal and business journey.

Whilst the growth of a business doesn’t always follow the same path and there will be challenges and curveballs along the way, there are a number of stages which make up a typical business lifecycle. Each stage presents its own set of considerations and priorities, requiring careful thought and planning. Below, we explore these stages and highlight the essential factors to bear in mind, from both a business and personal perspective.

Start-up

Scale-up

Exit planning

Exit

Post-exit

Start-up

Whether you are pre-inception or a newly established business, this is a critical time for turning your ideas into actions. Resources can be limited and decisions need to be made quickly.

From day one, we help entrepreneurs shape their ideas, understand legal obligations and apply a pricing model that recognises the inevitable cost constraints under which start-ups operate, to help you establish solid foundations for growth.

This section explores:

Key areas to consider when starting up
Early stage growth planning
Access to our free legal documentation generator BScale

Whether you are pre-inception or a newly established business, this is a critical time for turning your ideas into actions. Resources can be limited and decisions need to be made quickly.

From day one, we help entrepreneurs shape their ideas, understand legal obligations and apply a pricing model that recognises the inevitable cost constraints under which start-ups operate, to help you establish solid foundations for growth.

This section explores:

Key areas to consider when starting up
Early stage growth planning
Access to our free legal documentation generator BScale

Find out more

Scale-up

The decisions you make during your scale-up phase will shape your future. Growth brings new opportunities as well as different legal complexities.

You will need practical solutions and peace of mind that your legal requirements are covered, so that you can focus on growing your brand and scaling confidently.

This section explores:

Key priorities for scaling-up including:
- Commercial contracts
- Protecting your IP and brand
- People and incentives strategies
- Governance, risk and readiness
- Venture capital, venture debt and growth capital transactions

Find out more

Exit planning

Exiting your business should be on your terms. Planning ahead will make your business more attractive to buyers and investors, maximise value for you and avoid nasty and potentially costly surprises.

Decisions at this stage are pivotal and can shape your legacy. You will need advice that focuses on preparing your business for exit and achieving the best outcome for you.

This section explores:

Key stages of preparing for an exit including:
- Structuring your business exit
- Tax and wealth structuring
- Management succession planning
- Incentivising employees
- The importance of building the right team of advisers

Find out more

Exit

Having built your business through years of hard work and dedication, any exit needs to be handled with precision and care, alongside advisers you trust.

Clear guidance on the exit options available, finding the right buyer or investor and managing the risks are critical. If all of these areas are handled well, you will be able to exit cleanly with confidence and clarity.

This section explores:

The main routes to exit your business
What each options involves, including the key stages
How you can manage the risks

Find out more

Post-exit

Life following your business exit should be rewarding. Whether you are focused on reinvestment, philanthropy, legacy planning or new ventures, you will need advice that supports what matters most to you from advisers who understand both the tax and personal impact of your decisions.

This section explores:

Tax, succession and wealth planning
Reinvestment and new ventures
Charitable giving and legacy
Asset protection
Family offices and family investment companies

Find out more

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BScale

Our team offers practical and scalable legal support that grows with you, including access to automated legal documentation, at no cost, through our BScale platform.

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