Greater Manchester Business Owner Rethink What Succession Really Means
As we head further in to 2026, many business owners across Greater Manchester are asking themselves the same questions: What’s next? Am I building in the right direction? Should I be thinking about growth, succession or exit, even if nothing feels imminent?
According to Charlotte Ashton, founder of Implicit, uncertainty at this stage is not only normal, it’s expected.
“Founders often feel pressure to have a clear plan, a defined timeline and confident answers about the future,” she explains. “In reality, most growing businesses operate in periods of uncertainty for long stretches of time. That doesn’t mean something is wrong.”
Why exit planning is often misunderstood
One of the biggest misconceptions Ashton sees, particularly among established, profitable SMEs, is the idea that exit planning equals committing to sell.
“In practice, exit planning isn’t about signing up to a sale,” she says. “It’s about creating space to think on the business, strengthening foundations and giving owners genuine options. Those options might include selling, scaling, stepping back, or consciously deciding to do nothing.”
This reframing is especially relevant for Greater Manchester’s owner-managed businesses, many of which are entering a more complex phase of growth: larger teams, increased governance requirements, early acquisition conversations or unsolicited approaches from buyers.
Without structure, these moments can feel reactive rather than strategic.
Planning early creates options later
Ashton’s work with founders across the North West has shown that businesses which take a proactive approach to strategic planning, particularly, around leadership, governance, strategy and personal goals, tend to perform better regardless of whether a sale ever happens.
“A business that’s ‘exit ready’ is usually just a healthier business,” she says. “It’s less dependent on the founder, more resilient, and better positioned to grow.”
To help demystify the topic, Ashton has recently released a short video series starting with Why Exit Planning Is Really Growth Planning (https://vimeo.com/1143449563) aimed at business owners who want to build value without pressure or premature decisions.
This philosophy also underpins Implicit’s Scaling to Succession programme, which is designed as a structured but flexible learning journey for founders who want clarity without committing to a specific outcome. The first module is currently available at no cost, allowing owners to explore the concepts in their own time. Find out more here https://events.theimplicit.co.uk/S2S/
A message for Greater Manchester founders
For many local business owners, the takeaway is simple: not having all the answers yet is okay. What matters is creating the conditions to make better decisions when opportunities, or challenges arise.
As Ashton puts it: “The goal isn’t an exit. It’s options. And the earlier those options are built, the more control the owner keeps.”
The video series and complimentary module are available via Implicit’s digital learning hub. https://events.theimplicit.co.uk/S2S/