In its 2026 Structuring the Sale: Insights for Private Business Owners report, BNY Wealth quoted Emily Plocki on the importance of beginning estate and wealth planning well in advance of the sale of a business. The report draws on a survey of 354 professional advisors and attorneys who advise on privately held business transactions.
According to the report, many business owners begin preparing for a sale too late, potentially limiting opportunities to preserve value and implement effective tax and wealth transfer strategies. Advisors generally recommend beginning preparations well before a transaction is under way.
Commenting on the value of early planning, Plocki said, “The earlier in the timeline you start talking with your estate planning attorney, the more planning we can do, because we’ll have a longer runway. I am talking about a 2-3-year time horizon, ideally.”
Plocki also emphasized the value of involving wealth planning advisors early in the process, explaining, “When a deal is in motion, we can still maximize certain things, but we can really optimize if we’re part of the conversations from the get-go.”
Click here to read the full report.