Bold Business Podcast

The Power of Pausing and Self Advocacy in Business Growth

Saul Cohen · May 9, 2025

Entrepreneur · Finance · Leadershipin

Interview with Saul Cohen

The Power of Pausing and Self Advocacy in Business Growth — Saul Cohen

Podcast: Bold Business Podcast

May 9, 2025 · 42 min

Listen to Saul Cohen on Bold Business Podcast.

Listen

The Power of Pausing and Self Advocacy in Business Growth

0:00 / --:--

Bold Business Podcast

GO TO APPLE PODCASTS →

Key topicsYour accounts are the story buyers use to decide what your business is really worthMost business owners treat accounts as something they need for tax, compliance, or year-end reporting, but buyers read them as a story about future risk. Saul brings a different lens from his background in risk, assurance, and acquisitions: the numbers are only valuable when they explain how reliable the business is, how cash is generated, and how exposed the company may be without the founder. He helps owners understand that valuation is not just a multiple applied to profit; it is a judgement about systems, clients, team structure, recurring revenue, legal exposure, and the confidence a buyer can place in the business. This is a strong fit for finance, CPA, founder, and professional-services podcasts that want to make accounting feel commercially urgent rather than technical. How Founders Protect Personal Wealth While the Business Is Still GrowingSaul Cohen watches founders build a valuable company and keep almost none of it anywhere else. A chartered accountant (ICAEW) who has advised on more than 100 transactions, he argues that personal wealth planning cannot wait for the exit, because most of the structuring that saves real money has to be in place years before a sale process starts. He covers where a founder's money actually sits, how profits leave the company without triggering avoidable tax, and which decisions become irreversible the moment a buyer appears. He also names the false economy he sees most often: paying for compliance work and calling it planning. Listeners get a clear view of what to put in place while the business is still earning.Track Record — Why Buyers Trust the Numbers That Repeat, Not the Ones That PeakSaul Cohen reads a set of accounts the way a buyer does, not the way a tax return does. Trained at PwC and now an advisor on more than 100 transactions covering over £450M of acquired revenue, he can show why two businesses with identical profits get very different offers. The gap sits in earnings quality: whether the revenue comes back next year, whether the cash actually arrives, whether one good year is quietly carrying the average. He walks through the lines a buyer tests first, and what a founder can still fix inside the current year's numbers. Listeners leave knowing which figures to make boring and repeatable before anyone asks to see them.View all topics →

About Saul Cohen

Empowering Entrepreneurs with Strategic Financial Advice

1 Business sold before starting his PwC careerPwC Assurance & Risk Management experience£1M+ Annual earnings of business owners he advisesPartner The Expert Eye

Saul Cohen is an experienced accountant, acquisitions advisor, and passionate advocate for entrepreneurship. With a distinguished career that spans top-tier firms such as PwC and leadership roles at The Expert Eye, Saul has honed his expertise in financial audits, risk analysis, and strategic acquisitions. He is committed to empowering entrepreneurs to transition from business operators to savvy investors, unlocking their full potential.

Drawing inspiration from personal experiences, including his father’s entrepreneurial journey, Saul has dedicated his career to helping small businesses and startups navigate the complexities of tax planning, acquisitions, and exit strategies. His holistic approach not only enhances business valuations but also enables entrepreneurs to reclaim their time and achieve financial freedom.

Saul’s work is characterized by a creative and practical approach to accounting, blending technical expertise with actionable strategies. His unique perspective resonates with successful business owners earning £1M+ annually, particularly those eager to optimize their wealth, prepare for business exits, or make impactful acquisitions.

As a podcast guest, Saul brings inspiring stories, actionable advice, and a passion for empowering entrepreneurs to achieve lasting success and drive positive change in their communities.

Featured onApple Featured onSpotify Featured onYouTube

View profile →

About this episode

How many times do you hit a wall before you ask for help? While this can be a strength, there are a few universal situations where the downside of not asking for help has a big impact.

While generally a strength, there are situations where not asking for help can have significant negative effects.

Knowing how you have designed your business directly impacts why and how you may exit. Understanding what has been built is necessary to understand the reality of selling and what preparation may help find a buyer for your legacy. Business ownership is fraught with challenges and surprises; none of your experiences have to be regrets.

In this program, you will hear how experience is found in all luck that comes your way, how knowing yourself makes spotting when you are comparing yourself and your business to others easier, and a strategy for staying focused by saying "no" more.

Jess Dewell talks withSaul Cohen, Accountant & Acquisitions Advisor at The Expert Eye, about the difference between scaling and stalling business growth and why it is BOLD to accept and embrace the company you built and look at it through a lens of abundance.

--------------------

If you want to identify business bottlenecks, the necessary skills, the initial actions to take, the expected milestones, and the priorities for achieving growth, try the "Growth Framework Reset" approach. This will help you to keep learning and growing while working strategically on your business.

--------------------

You can get in touch with Jess Dewell on Twitter, LinkedIn or Red Direction website.

Guest: Saul Cohen