Beyond business: one local government helping business owners with succession planning

Business succession (the transition of ownership and management from one owner/manager to another) is an issue of growing importance to the business community internationally. The paper outlines the activities of the Dunedin City Council’s Economic Development Unit to get local business owners to plan for their business exit - the Beyond Business programme. It documents the consultation process undertaken, describes findings of focus groups with local business advisors and a large survey of local business owners. These processes culminated in the employment of an independent succession planning advisor to help local business owners ‘Beyond Business’. Analysis of one year’s client’s progress is presented. Indications are that this advice, now in its third year of being offered, is raising awareness among business owners of the need to plan for succession.