Who we help
A narrow practice, described honestly
Stillpoint works with owners of closely held businesses. Not every owner needs this work, and the fit is usually obvious within one conversation.
Fit before scope
The four situations below describe the circumstances the practice is built around. They are descriptive rather than exhaustive, and the first conversation exists to establish whether any of them genuinely apply to you.
Situation 01
You are thinking about eventually stepping back
The company still runs on your attention, and the personal side of leaving it has never been written down anywhere.
What we usually hear
- A sale, succession or wind-down is somewhere on the horizon, without a date attached
- Household spending has quietly been funded by the business for years
- Advisers exist (accountant, lawyer) but nobody holds the personal picture
What the work looks like
We build the personal-side picture first: what the household actually costs, what is owned outside the company, and which questions have to be answered before any transaction conversation is useful.
Situation 02
The business is profitable and your personal balance sheet is thin
Earnings look healthy on paper while nearly everything you own is the company itself.
What we usually hear
- Retained earnings accumulate with no stated purpose
- Compensation is set by habit or by the year-end tax conversation
- Personal reserves would not comfortably absorb a bad eighteen months
What the work looks like
We map concentration honestly, define what a personal reserve needs to cover, and set a deliberate policy for what leaves the business and why, then coordinate it with your tax adviser.
Situation 03
Ownership is shared with partners or family
Two or more households depend on one set of decisions, and their circumstances are not identical.
What we usually hear
- Owners are at different ages, stages or risk appetites
- Family members work in the business, or expect to
- Agreements exist but were written for a smaller, simpler company
What the work looks like
We work with each household's picture separately, then surface where the personal plans agree and where they quietly conflict, so the conversation with your lawyer starts from facts.
Situation 04
A sale or payout has already happened
For the first time the money is outside the business, and the old operating instincts do not translate.
What we usually hear
- Proceeds are sitting undirected while decisions get deferred
- Income now has to be constructed rather than earned
- Requests for capital arrive from every direction
What the work looks like
We slow the sequence down: obligations first, structure second, everything discretionary last, and we write down the reasoning so the next decision has a precedent.
Descriptions above are general and illustrative of the kinds of circumstances the practice is built around. They are not a statement of expertise with any particular profession, industry or wealth level, and they do not constitute advice. Important information.
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See how the planning work is organised
Four areas, each with a stated boundary on what falls outside it.
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