PROFIT With A Plan

EP295 Is Your Business Built for Long-Term Value or Just Survival featuring Saul Cohen

Saul Cohen · March 26, 2025

Entrepreneur · Finance · Leadershipin

Interview with Saul Cohen

EP295 Is Your Business Built for Long-Term Value or Just Survival featuring Saul Cohen

Podcast: PROFIT With A Plan

March 26, 2025

Is your business built for long-term value or just survival? Guest: Saul Cohen, Accountant and Acquisitions Expert - The Expert Eye Host: Marcia Riner, Business Growth Strategist - Infinite Profit® In this episode of Profit With A Plan, Saul Cohen, seasoned accountant and…

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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.

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About this episode

Is your business built for long-term value or just survival?

Guest:Saul Cohen, Accountant and Acquisitions Expert - The Expert Eye

Host: Marcia Riner, Business Growth Strategist - Infinite Profit®

In this episode of Profit With A Plan, Saul Cohen, seasoned accountant and acquisitions expert, reveals how to structure your business for a profitable exit while maximizing cash flow and reducing risk. With experience across 100+ successful acquisitions and a background working with PwC, JP Morgan, EasyJet, and Tesco, Saul shares insider strategies that business owners can use to position themselves for the best valuation when it’s time to sell.

🔹 Key Topics Discussed:

✔️ The critical decision: Lifestyle business vs. scalable exit-focused company (09:30)

✔️ How business buyers determine value—what really matters (17:10)

✔️ The two core factors that drive business valuation: cash flow & risk reduction (19:40)

✔️ Why now is the best time to buy a business—our generational opportunity (25:50)

✔️ How entrepreneurs can leverage AI to increase efficiency and business value (30:20)

✔️ The hidden value of culture in business sales and how it impacts deal success (40:50)

✔️ The ‘wrapper’ effect: How intangible factors can boost valuation by up to 30% (47:20)

✔️ Why waiting too long to plan your exit can cost you millions (53:15)

🎧 Tune in to get practical insights on increasing your business’s value, structuring a strategic exit, and why now is a prime time to invest in acquisitions.

🔗 Resources & Links:

📖 Join the waitlist for Saul Cohen’s upcoming book on business exits & valuation strategies! https://theexperteye.co.uk/waitlist

🌎 Learn more about Saul’s firm, The Expert Eye, and his work in acquisitions & exit planning. https://theexperteye.co.uk/

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🎧 Subscribe & Never Miss an Episode!

Find Profit With a Plan on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major podcast platforms. Stay tuned for more high-impact, profit-driven strategies in our next episode!

👤 About Marcia Riner

Marcia Riner is a business growth strategist who helps entrepreneurs scale smarter, increase profitability, and maximize business value. As CEO of Infinite Profit® and creator of the Profit Booster® strategies, she goes beyond advice—working alongside business owners to implement proven strategies that strengthen financial stability, optimize operations, and drive long-term success.

Whether you’re looking to boost profits, expand, or prepare for a high-value exit, Marcia delivers the expertise and hands-on support to make it happen. Learn more at InfiniteProfitConsulting.com.

Got questions? Reach out to Marcia and her team at (949) 229-2112 ♾️

Guest: Saul Cohen