Author: Steve Zeller

Business Exit Planning

When is the Right Time to Get a Valuation of Your Business in Planning Your Exit? 

As I have mentioned many times before when writing articles on business exit planning, doing a proper exit plan takes time and usually requires a methodical process. Over the years, I have developed an exit planning process that was manifested out of the knowledge of a comprehensive financial planning process, and what I have learned over many years of being a member of the Business Enterprise Institute.

Business Exit Planning

The Business Owner Will Exit Their Business, One Way or Another 

When discussing business exit planning, there are some interesting statistics: 100% of business owners will leave their businesses, whether planned or otherwise; 79% pf business owners plan to exit their businesses in the next 10 years or less; 80% of owners believe that a successful exit will result from planning and action items they implement. But here is the catch – only 17% of owners have created a written plan… and often it takes 3 to 5 years to develop one.

Family Wealth

Handling Sudden Wealth: A Guide to Protecting, Managing and Utilizing Sudden Wealth 

If you are a person that has just had the experience of a “sudden wealth” event, congratulations and be careful. The experience of sudden wealth, whether it is a sizable inheritance, a legal settlement, a business-related windfall, or a lottery win, is a life changer. It can be a blessing or a curse depending on how well you prepare yourself emotionally and financially. Sudden wealth requires careful consideration and planning.

Family Legacy Planning

Begin the Journey of Developing a Family Legacy with a Family Retreat 

In my previous article, “Preserving Family Wealth is a Generational Effort,” I mentioned that “Wealth equals capital, which equals potential (Wealth = Capital = Potential).”  In other words, a healthier way to view family wealth, is to view it as capital that can be applied in a way that maximizes the well-being, purpose, love, productivity, family unity, and the positive impact the family can have on the community and causes that are near and dear to them. These attributes are capitalized on when a Family Legacy focuses on the three forms of family wealth (or capital), which are financial capital, human capital, and intellectual capital.

Family Legacy Planning

Preserving Family Wealth is a Generational Effort 

Wealth within a family can be a double edged sword. It can serve as an incredible resource to benefit its family members, but it can also be destructive and divisive. Destructive in the sense that if not properly tended to and respected, wealth can destroy the purpose and outcomes of individual family members, and divisive in the sense that it can damage the bond between family members and cause a splintering of the family.

Life Lessons

Asking Powerful Questions 

Asking questions is a powerful way to lead yourself to deep understanding. Asking questions helps lead to personal breakthroughs. Asking questions is an important tool for effective listening, learning, understanding, gaining clarity and a useful tool to help develop a personal vision for yourself.