Frequently Asked Questions
What is DAY ONE?
DAY ONE provides practical commercial support to owner-managed businesses when an owner or key leader is suddenly unable to continue due to serious illness, incapacity or death.
We work alongside families, shareholders, leadership teams and professional advisers to help protect the business while important decisions are made.
Who contacts DAY ONE?
Anyone can.
We are contacted by spouses, children, shareholders, directors, accountants, solicitors, banks, insurers and recruiters.
Whoever makes the first call, our role is the same: to bring clarity, confidence and continuity during an uncertain time.
Do I need to commit to anything before speaking with you?
No.
Your first conversation is confidential and without obligation.
We'll listen, understand your circumstances and explain how we may be able to help.
Sometimes that conversation alone provides the reassurance people need.
If someone has become seriously ill?
Can you help if the business owner is still alive?
Absolutely.
Many of the situations we support involve serious illness, accident or temporary incapacity rather than bereavement.
Sometimes the owner makes a full recovery.
Sometimes they don't.
Our role is to help protect the business while giving everyone the best possible chance of making informed decisions.
What if the owner is expected to return?
Our priority is preserving the business so that, if they are able to return, they have something healthy to come back to.
Where possible, we focus on maintaining continuity rather than making unnecessary long-term changes.
If someone has passed away
What should we do first?
Every situation is different, but our advice is always the same.
Don't feel you have to make every decision immediately.
Some actions can wait.
Many can.
Our role is to help you understand the difference, protect the business and give you time to consider the future carefully.
Do we have to sell the business?
No.
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Many families assume selling is the only option.
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Often it isn't.
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Depending on the circumstances, businesses may continue under existing management, with new leadership, through family succession or eventually by sale.
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We'll help you understand the options before any significant decisions are made.
We know nothing about the business. Can you still help?
Yes.
In fact, that's one of the reasons DAY ONE exists.
Many spouses and family members have never been involved in the day-to-day running of the business.
We'll explain everything in plain English and work alongside your existing advisers to help you understand your options.
Working with DAY ONE
Are you replacing our accountant or solicitor?
No.
We work alongside your existing professional advisers.
Your accountant provides financial expertise.
Your solicitor provides legal advice.
Our role is to help bring the commercial picture together, coordinate conversations and support practical decision making.
Will you run the business for us?
Not unless that's specifically agreed.
Our purpose is to support, mentor and guide those responsible for the business.
Where temporary leadership is required, we'll discuss the most appropriate approach together.
How long do you normally stay involved?
There is no standard answer.
Some clients need a single conversation.
Others ask us to support them for several weeks or months.
Our involvement lasts only for as long as it adds value.
Can you attend meetings with us?
Yes.
We regularly attend meetings with families, directors, accountants, solicitors, banks and other professional advisers where our experience and independent perspective can help.
Business Readiness
We don't need help today. Can we prepare in advance?
Absolutely.
In fact, that's the best time to speak with us.
Our Business Readiness Review helps identify areas of vulnerability and creates a practical plan to support your family and business if the unexpected happens.
Is this the same as succession planning?
No.
Succession planning focuses on planned leadership transitions.
Business Readiness considers what happens when there is no warning.
The two work together, but they are not the same.
Fees
How do you charge?
We work on agreed fixed-fee engagements.
We don't charge by the hour or invoice every telephone call.
This allows families and leadership teams to seek advice whenever they need it without worrying about additional cost.
Why don't you publish a full price list?
Because every situation is different.
Some businesses need immediate guidance over a few days.
Others benefit from several months of support.
After our initial conversation, we'll recommend the level of support that's appropriate and explain the investment involved before any works begin.
About DAY ONE
Why did you create DAY ONE?
DAY ONE was created from both personal experience and more than thirty years of working alongside owner-managed businesses.
Our founder experienced first hand the consequences of a family business being left without leadership following a serious accident.
Combined with a career helping businesses navigate growth, change, acquisitions and shareholder transitions, that experience led to one simple belief:
No one should have to face this situation alone.
Are you a consultancy?
Not in the traditional sense.
DAY ONE isn't about reports, presentations or jargon.
It's about providing calm, experienced guidance during one of the most challenging periods a business and its owners may ever face.
Still have questions?
You don't need to know exactly what to ask before contacting us.
You don't need to have a plan.
You don't even need to know whether you need our help.
Start with a conversation.
We'll help you understand where you are today, what matters most and what comes next.
Everything else can follow from there.