A Cash Balance Plan May be a Great Tax- Reducing Benefit to A Business Owner
By: Steven E. Zeller CFP, CExP, AIF Like most business owners, you’re likely exploring ways to strategically grow your revenue, increase profits, and minimize taxes. This is a common goal. As your cash flows increase, you may find yourself seeking ways to reduce your growing tax burden. Often, we explore sensible capital expenditures or business reinvestments that align with your strategic goals, which is a healthy exercise. But sometimes, business owners could benefit from strategies to accumulate personal assets and…
Build a Successful Business Exit Plan by Using a Planning Process
As a business owner, planning the exit from ownership of your business is probably the single most important decision you will make. When to exit, how much to walk away with, who to sell it to, what’s the most tax efficient strategy in your circumstance, what timeline is most suitable, and what are the areas of business that need to be improved upon to make it marketable, etc.? Those are just some of the things that need to be considered….
Choosing Your Team of Advisors in Business Exit Planning
Proper business exit planning needs to be completed through an established process. Over the years of providing this type of planning for business owners, we have developed a methodical and straightforward exit planning process. In the first phase of the exit planning process, the “Create a Game plan” phase, the last step is choosing your required outside advisors for your exit planning needs. Every owner has unique exit planning needs and requires different advisors at different times. The Exit Planning…
How a Business Owner Can Utilize an ESOP to Exit Their Business
One of the more challenging steps for a Business Owner in planning their exit is determining the best option for selling their business, which is often based on their personal situation, goals for the company, employees, and family members. However, one of the more tax-efficient strategies and options for the sale of the business is the Owner selling to an ESOP or an Employee Stock Ownership Plan. An ESOP is a tax-qualified retirement plan (profit sharing and/or money-purchase plan) that…
How Business Owners Can Increase Value in An Economic Downturn
Economic downturns can be stressful for business owners. It’s great riding the waves of increased business revenue and profit during economic upswings, but being prepared for downturns are just as important, if not more, for a few reasons: The first is that you want your business to be able to weather the storm and survive with minimal sacrifices and while not becoming more vulnerable to competition. The second is that during a downturn your business can become “leaner and meaner”…
A Methodical Way to Increase the Value of Your Business – As Part of An Exit Plan
Let’s face it, when you reach the point of your career as a business owner and becomes time to start planning your exit, you will ultimately want to exit your business by either selling it to company insiders, family, or to a third party, for the highest possible price, in the most tax efficient manner, and on your terms.
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.
A Key Employee Incentive Plan is Vital for a Successful Business Sale
There are many critical areas that need to be addressed by the owner of a business when preparing their company for a successful sale to a third party. What defines a successful exit? Being able to exit their business for their desired amount or higher, being able to exit on their terms, and do so in the most tax-efficient manner.
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.
Exiting Your Business Happily, Often Requires a Strong Personal Vision
Exiting a business is a very significant event for most owners. Realizing the importance and giving attention to this step in the exit planning process, and doing so well ahead of the actual exit, will help position him or her to have a healthy, meaningful, happy life, after the exit occurs.
Steven E. Zeller
Steven Zeller is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional, Accredited Investment Fiduciary®, Certified Exit Planner, practicing Wealth Advisor, and serves clients nationwide. He has over 24 years of experience within his profession. READ MORE
Subscribe to Family Fortunes
What Steve Writes About
I write about the latest thoughts and topics that impact high net worth families, individuals, and business owners. The building and sustainability of family wealth and a business is an exciting journey, and I have a passion to help them along the way to grow and thrive.
What Steve is Reading
The latest book that Steve is reading. He reads, all he can, material relevant to the high net worth family and business owners, so that he may pass it onto his readers.
Connect With Steve