Business Owners

Our expertise spans both personal financial planning and strategic business exit planning, helping you to build a secure future for yourself and those you care about. Here’s how we combine these services to benefit you:

Personal Financial Planning

• Wealth Management: We’ll develop a portfolio strategy that aligns with your goals, risk tolerance, and timeline. This might include diversified investments, retirement accounts, and asset protection strategies.
• Tax Optimization: By coordinating tax strategies across both personal and business assets, we can help reduce tax liability, freeing up resources to reinvest or save.
• Retirement Planning: We create a plan that ensures financial independence in retirement, whether or not you sell your business.

The Evolving Landscape of Exit Planning

The field of exit planning is rapidly maturing in response to the increasing number of privately-held baby boomer business owners seeking to transition their companies and fulfill their retirement objectives. This industry transformation has broadened the options available to business owners when contemplating the next phase of their businesses and personal lives. However, choosing the most suitable advisor, and advisory team, for this pivotal transition remains a critical decision.

Many business owners turn to their existing advisors, a practice that can present challenges. Traditional advisors often lack specialized exit planning training, restricting their ability to guide clients through the complete process. Consequently, business owners are left to navigate this complex terrain independently. For instance, a CPA may provide insights on tax-efficient transaction structures, they might not offer assistance in assessing post-retirement income requirements. Similarly, wealth managers can design sale proceeds plans but might not possess the knowledge to mitigate post-transaction risks. Attorneys can support sale diligence preparation but may not accurately determine your business’s valuation.

In the realm of exit planning advisory, the expertise and offerings of exit planning advisors can vary widely. Some advisors can introduce business owners to fundamental exit planning concepts, helping them initiate their considerations in this area. However, only a select few can translate these concepts into a comprehensive and actionable exit plan. Moreover, they can connect business owners with specialized resources, such as ESOP attorneys, management compensation experts, or M&A advisors, to execute the plan effectively.

 The IEPA's mission is to provide professional advisors and business consultants with exceptional training and guidance, enabling them to expertly guide and educate business-owning clients throughout the intricate journey of transferring ownership of their privately-held businesses. The International Exit Planning Association is the governing body responsible for establishing and maintaining standards for the CBEC® designation. Now in our 16th year of serving professional advisors and consultants, the International Exit Planning Association’s Certified Business Exit Consultant® designation has assisted thousands of advisors and business owners with this unique service.