Business structuring

A single limited company works well, until growing cash reserves, new shareholders, or a coming sale start exposing you to risk a better structure would avoid. Folio Partners designs group structures, holding companies and SPVs that match where your business is actually going, not a generic template.

Get in touch
Folio Partners, business structuring help, group structure
Folio Partners, business structuring help, group structure, get in touch

Why the right structure matters

Structuring gets treated as something you only need once you're running a corporate group with a finance team behind you. In practice, most of what matters here is covered by a two-company structure, a holding company sitting above a single trading company, and it's often smaller, growing businesses that benefit most, precisely because they haven't built in any protection yet. Done properly, the outcomes are concrete:

  • Cash, IP and property sit behind a holding company instead of being exposed to whatever happens on the trading side.
  • Dividends, reinvestment and family wealth planning work differently, and often better, once assets sit in the right place.
  • Bringing in an investor, a family member or a key employee as a shareholder gets simpler and cheaper to do properly.
  • A sale, when it comes, moves faster and captures more value with the structure already in place, rather than being untangled under time pressure.

Who this is for

Business structuring is about timing, not size, and the proper structure can create clarity, protection, and opportunity at any stage. You're likely due a structure review if:

  • You're holding growing cash reserves in a single trading company, exposed to whatever happens in that trade.
  • You're planning to bring in investors, family members or employees as shareholders.
  • You run more than one distinct trade or revenue stream under one company.
  • You're preparing for a sale and want a clean structure in place before it complicates the deal.
  • You want to ring-fence IP, property or other valuable assets from day-to-day trading risk.

Is a group structure right for your company?

Not every business needs a full restructure straight away. Our free guide walks through the different group structures, holding companies, SPVs and trade separation, in plain terms, with real-world examples and diagrams, so you can work out which one (if any) fits where you are now.

Download eBook

What this covers

  • Group structure design
    Holding companies and subsidiaries that ring-fence cash, IP and property from trading risk.
  • SPV set-up
    Dedicated vehicles for property investment or venture activity, kept separate from your main trading company.
  • Trade separation
    Splitting distinct revenue streams into separate entities where it reduces risk or sharpens reporting.

How it works: Your next steps

1. Discovery call

A free call to understand your goals, the challenges you're facing, and which structure actually fits your business.

2. Scope confirmed

We map out what your business needs and agree the plan before any work begins.

3. Kick-off

We confirm what we need from you and move forward with clarity on what happens next.

4. Timeframes

Most structuring projects take 6 to 8 weeks from kick-off, depending on complexity.

The specialist behind your structure

Ben Crampin, Co-Founder of Folio Partners, has spent over a decade helping business owners get their structure right, working with them through every stage of the business, from start-up to succession or exit.

Folio Partners, About Us, Tom Elsbury

Ben Crampin