Master a proven 6-stage framework to design, sell, and deliver succession plans—so you protect your clients’ legacies and add a reliable new revenue line to your practice.
Meet Brad Franc - Creator, Author and Founder of The Succession Solution
Why Succession Planning Matters Now
Succession isn’t optional—it’s inevitable. Every business will face leadership and ownership transition. Yet most owners are underprepared:
Over 70% of U.S. small-business owners lack a clear succession plan or have not documented one, even as they approach retirement.
The “Silver Tsunami” is here: a large share of owners are Boomers nearing exit, and many plan to transfer or sell within the next few years. Demand for qualified advisors is rising fast.
Transitions fail without planning. Family firms commonly struggle to survive generational handoffs—planning and governance make the difference.
Bottom line:
Your clients need a trusted operator to quarterback the process. That should be you.
Is This Certification Right For You?
This certification is designed for seasoned advisors who already sit at the table with business-owner clients and want to expand their scope of influence.
You’ll fit right in if you’re a:
Financial Advisor guiding founder-led or family-owned businesses
Attorney advising on ownership structure, governance, or succession clauses
CPA or valuation expert helping owners prepare for sale or transfer
Business consultant or coach supporting growth, leadership, or continuity
Recommended experience:
5+ years advising closely-held or family businesses.
You’ll get the most value if you:
Already have an existing client base of business owners
Want to differentiate beyond tax or financial planning
Are ready to productize your expertise into a structured, high-value offer
How the Certification Works
A structured, flexible program built for working professionals.
You’ll complete 10 modules aligned with The Succession Solution’s 6-stage framework—combining video lessons, case studies, and client-ready templates.
Apply It to Clients Earn Your Credential
Learn the Framework
Move through 10 self-paced modules that walk you through the entire 6-stage process.
Use tools, checklists, and discovery frameworks in your client engagements.
Complete the final assessment to become a Certified Succession Solution Advisor.
The Certification That Turns Expertise Into An Offer Clients Will Buy
Sample Template
You’ll learn to strategize, design, and deliver comprehensive succession plans using The Succession Solution’s 6-stage framework—
so you can confidently lead clients, navigate family dynamics, and produce tangible results.
✔️ Run structured discovery and risk assessments.
✔️ Facilitate hard conversations (fair vs. equal, readiness, and governance)
✔️ Produce a written roadmap with milestones and KPIs.
✔️ Align leadership, tax, and estate strategies.
✔️ Price, package, and position this as a premium service.
✔️ Market yourself as a Certified Succession Solution Advisor.
What You’ll Learn
A 10-module program mapped to the 6-stage Succession Solution framework.
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Define succession, assess readiness and risk.
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Clarify objectives across owners and families.
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Create governance, roles, and leadership systems.
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Align funding, taxes, and estate strategies.
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Translate plans into action and buy-in.
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Track KPIs and evolve plans over time.
Why This Program Works
Practical, Not Theoretical
Real frameworks and templates ready for use.
Built for Closely-Held Businesses
Focuses on family dynamics and governance.
Credibility You Can Market
Earn a credential to signal authority.
“Bradley Franc explains succession with rare clarity and real-world practicality. His approach works—I’ve seen it firsthand through business owners who used his system to successfully guide their businesses through transition. With Brad’s direct coaching and tailored strategic guidance, they achieved outcomes most owners only hope for.
Now, as a Succession Solution Advisor myself, I can say with confidence: his framework is one of the strongest in the industry. Highly recommended.”
“Brad’s program and systemization of succession planning into a simple, easy to understand, step by step process has breathed new life into my consulting practice. This strategic framework is not only the solution I have been seeking out for my clients for years but will also serve as the primary framework for the rest of my work with private business owners and their key executives.”
“I was able to finish up the succession course. It’s been most helpful and we’ve already lined up a Succession Planning session with a client.”
“The Succession Solution Certification Program was a great series. It is really consistent with great business practices and is applicable to many scenarios. It aligns so well with how I approach business management, and I find it inspirational and motivating. Brad does a terrific job of keeping it interesting, relevant, and entertaining.”
Turn Certification Into Revenue
A simple, quarterly engagement model that creates clarity for clients and predictable income for you.
Advisors don’t need complicated packaging to offer succession planning as a premium service. The simplest and most effective approach is a quarterly advisory engagement:
Clients commit to four meetings per year (one per quarter)
You guide them through assessment, roadmap development, governance, and execution
They pay per quarter, with the option to stop anytime — no long-term lock-in
The first quarter typically carries more work, but the value remains consistent across the year
This structure is easy to sell, easy for clients to understand, and aligns cleanly with how real-world succession planning unfolds.
Recommended Pricing Range
Advisors typically charge between $2,500 and $20,000 per quarter, depending on complexity, ownership structure, family dynamics, and the advisor’s experience.
And because clients pay quarter-by-quarter with the freedom to stop, advisors see strong adoption and low friction during onboarding.
The quarterly advisory timeline
Succession isn’t a one-day deliverable — it’s a year-long leadership and ownership transition process.
The quarterly cadence gives advisors a natural structure to drive clarity, accountability, and long-term continuity.
🟨 Q1 — Assessment & Roadmap
Discovery, readiness interviews, stakeholder alignment, and development of the initial succession roadmap.
🟨 Q2 — Implementation Begins
Governance design, role mapping, successor development, and communication planning.
🟨 Q3 — Tracking & Adjustments
KPI reviews, accountability sessions, roadmap refinements, and mid-year course-corrections.
🟨 Q4 — Stewardship & Annual Review
Annual review, leadership development, adjustments for the next cycle, and forward planning.
Clients meet once per quarter and can pause anytime—no long-term cont
One Client Pays for the Certification
Most advisors charge $2,500 to $20,000 per quarter for succession advisory.
A single engagement typically covers the cost of the certification — with ongoing revenue beyond that.
Who Benefits in Your Book of Business
These are the clients who already trust you — and need this guidance most.
Founder-led firms with no documented plan.
Family businesses balancing fairness vs. equality.
Owner-dependent companies where value drops without the principal.
Common Questions
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Yes—position it as a staged advisory offer (roadmap → implementation → stewardship). One engagement can pay back quickly, and stewardship creates durable annuity revenue.
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Demographics and owner readiness say yes: more owners are approaching transition without a documented plan, creating sustained demand for qualified advisors.
Become the advisor your clients trust to protect their business, family, and legacy.
Build a premium, defensible service line inside your firm.
Unsure if Succession Planning is right for your clients?
Watch our free masterclass to learn why every professional working with closely held businesses needs to be offering Succession Planning and how you can utalize this 6-part process today.
Legacy Leadership: A Proven Succession Planning Process for Advisors to Business Owners
Join Bradley Franc, founder of The Succession Solution, for a free powerful masterclass designed specifically for business advisers. Learn how to guide business owners through one of the most critical—and emotional—transitions of their lives using a proven 6-step process.