Which person would be hardest for the business to replace?

A key person may hold client relationships, technical knowledge, revenue responsibility, supplier access or decision authority that is difficult to replace quickly.

The planning question is not only what that person is paid. It is what their absence could cost in lost revenue, replacement time, financing pressure and continuity risk.

Replacement cost, revenue concentration, debt covenants, recruiting time, insurance funding and continuity planning may all matter. The right solution depends on the actual dependency, not the employee’s title alone.