Member Resource Center

Business Continuity Planning
This white paper discusses business continuity planning in a way that you may not expect.  When owners think of business continuity, they do so at the prompting of an insurance or legal advisor who warns that unless owners take prudent measures, they will leave their families unprotected in the event of death or permanent disability.  As an owner, you address family concerns through proper estate planning.  Business continuity is, on the other hand…Business Continuity Planning

Business Valuation
When business owners first meet with an exit planning advisor, they are often surprised that one of the advisor’s first recommendations is to obtain a certified valuation of the company.  You may see the process and the cost of a valuation as simply another barrier to your ultimate destination of leaving your company.  So, is a valuation really necessary?  And, if so, how much will it cost and who will conduct the valuation?  These questions will be answered as we look at six reasons why smart owners secure independent business valuations....Business Valuation

“C” vs “S” Corporation
“I expect to exit my business down the road, but is there anything I need to do now?"  Business owners often express this concern because, as they do nothing to prepare for their eventual departure, they suspect that they should.  Every business is conducted for income tax purposes. Having the wrong entity in place when you ready the business for sale can more….“C” vs. “S” Corporation

Employee Incentive Planning
The first task in key employee incentive planning is to identify exactly who your key employees are. Most of your employees do not fit into the "key" category. This white paper describes how you can motivate employees through various key employee incentive programs. The beauty of a well-designed key employee incentive program is that...Employee Incentive Planning

ESOP Opportunities
ESOPs have received a lot of favorable press lately.  It is almost as if an ESOP is the modern-day equivalent of a diet pill that lets folks eat all they want and still lose weight.    An Employee Stock Ownership Plan is a tool business owners use to achieve three common objectives…ESOP Opportunities

Exit Routes for Business Owners
When business owners start to think about exiting their companies, the number of exit routes available may seem unending.  In fact there are only eight. Which of these exits do owners, in fact, tend to use? This white paper examines the advantages and disadvantages of each before it describes a process that enables owners to choose the best exit path for them.  Exit Routes for Business Owners

Inevitabilities
Owners begin thinking about the Exit Planning process when two streams of thought begin to converge. The first stream is a feeling that you want to do something besides go to work every day - either you would like to be somplace else - doing something else - or you simply no longer get the same kick out of doing what you are doing. The second stream is...Inevitabilities

Transferring Your Company to Key Employees
Owners wishing to sell their business to management (key employees) face one unpleasant fact: their employees have no money. Nor can they borrow any - at least not in sufficient quantity to cash out the owner. This white paper discusses two transfer methods - they are…Transferring Your Company to Key Employees

Transferring Wealth To Children – A Primer for Business Owners
Business owners struggling with the issue of passing wealth to children would do well to revisit their original exit objectives, namely: “How much money do you wish to have after the sale of your business?" Using that piece of information as a starting point, you can then…Transferring Wealth To Children – A Primer for Business Owners

Using Short-Term Key Employee Incentives To Increase Sale Price
Keeping key employees is not only desirable, however, it is necessary if the business is to be sold – and sold at the highest possible price.  A basic premise of key employee incentive planning is to keep the key employee as…Using Short-Term Key Employee Incentives To Increase Sale Price

Value Drivers
Did you wonder why one business has buyers lined up willing to pay top dollar while another sits on the market for months, or even years?  What do buyers look for in a prospective business acquisition?  The items, common to all industries, which drive up value, are called “Value Drivers”.  They include…Value Drivers

Issue 225- 1/17/2012 — Buying Out Your Partner

In this case-study-based article, readers learn what tasks they need to accomplish whether they are the owner who wants to exit or the co-owner who wants to stay active in the business. We examine the remaining partner’s alternatives and what must be done to lay the foundation for any lifetime exit.

Issue 224- 1/03/2012 — The Importance of Time In An Employee Buy Out

A case study illustrates the clash between an owner’s desire to sell to employees and the employees’ lack of cash. This issue lists the three goals of any good transfer-to-employees plan, an explanation of the two-stage plan design and the four employee transfer requirements: business value, time, a cooperative bank and strong management team.