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The Global Insight

What happens to a business when the owner retires?

Author

James Williams

Updated on March 14, 2026

Upon the retirement of a corporation’s CEO, the owner can either sell off the company in the market or to employees, name a family member as the new CEO, or shut down the business. Everybody retires at some point, and this is no different for business owners.

Can a business owner retire?

The good news is that small business owners have more options available to them than traditional employees. One of these options is the flexibility of the date of your retirement. You may choose to retire early, or choose not to retire at all. It’s up to you to determine exactly when to stop working.

How many businesses will sell in the next 10 years?

Roughly 10 million (or 65% to 75%) of all small companies will be up for sale in the next 10 years.

How do I retire if I own a business?

Choose a Traditional Retirement Strategy

  1. Establish a SIMPLE IRA: The savings incentive match plan for employees, or SIMPLE IRA, is one retirement plan available to small businesses.
  2. Employers can match employee contributions to a SIMPLE IRA up to 3% of the employee’s compensation.

Can you own a business and still collect Social Security retirement?

If you’re operating a small business, you can get Social Security benefits at the same time if you qualify on your own work record or someone else’s. The Social Security Administration treats your self-employment income the same as wages earned by a worker.

Can business owners get pension?

Retirement Plan Options for the Self-Employed. There are five main choices for the self-employed or small-business owners: an IRA (traditional or Roth), a Solo 401(k), a SEP IRA, a SIMPLE IRA or a defined benefit plan.

Can business owners have a 401k?

An Individual 401(k), also known as a Solo 401(k), is designed for a self-employed business owner and his or her spouse. Through your business, you can make contributions as an employee via salary deferrals, and also contribute as an employer through contributions made by your business.

What percentage of businesses never sell?

Selling a business isn’t easy. In fact, according to the International Business Brokers Association (IBBA), up to 90% of businesses never sell at all.

What percentage of small businesses sell?

The fact of the matter is that this is more of a realistic scenario than most business owners realize. According to surveys approximately 30 to 40% of businesses listed for sale actually ever sell. Most experienced business brokers and expert dealers will tell you this is probably accurate.

Can business owners collect Social Security?

You may continue to work in your business and still collect Social Security benefits, but these benefits are limited if you exceed the maximum taxable earnings amount each year until you reach your normal retirement age.

Is your retirement plan to sell your business?

If you’re like the majority of small business owners, your business plays a big part in your retirement plans. Maybe you haven’t had to chance to put aside any funds for retirement outside your business, but you see your small business as your trump card; when the time comes, you’ll just sell it and retire comfortably on the proceeds.

Can a sole owner of a business retire?

If you have one or more partners, the transition into retirement will probably be a lot easier than if you are the sole owner. But in either case, you will probably need to consider the possibility of phasing out gradually, rather than leaving all at once.

What to consider when retiring from a business?

There are two issues to consider: your retirement from work, and your ownership interest in the business. In personal service businesses, these sometimes cannot be separated – there may be little value to your company when you stop working.

Can you retire from a personal service business?

In personal service businesses, these sometimes cannot be separated – there may be little value to your company when you stop working. But if the business can plausibly continue without you, you could sell your ownership interest without retiring, or you could retire without selling your ownership interest.