Avoiding the "Exit" Word

Owners don’t like the “Exit” word. They tell us regularly to change it, or that talking about it is uncomfortable. It’s the elephant in the room. I understand. Anyone selling life insurance or funeral pre-planning knows that you don’t start with “So, let’s discuss what happens when you DIE.” For business owners, leaving the business is like a little bit of death. That’s why black humor in the exit planning world goes like this. “There are seven ways to exit your business. Six of those are head first.” Your company has been the central focus of your life for twenty or thirty years, and perhaps ... Read more

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What's Your Purpose in Retirement?

Retirement can be an exciting milestone. It’s also a major lifestyle change. Oftentimes, your daily workday tasks (professionally or if you run your own business) will likely no longer exist. Transitioning into retirement for some is an easy process. Perhaps their profession is not their absolute passion, and they always had other pursuits and hobbies they are ready to explore once exiting from their day job. But for others, their profession or business is their passion. They put all their time and energy into it and are dedicated to their profession for many years. Now suddenly, retirement is on the horizon and work is coming ... Read more

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Main Street Business and Middle-Market

A common area of confusion among both business owners and advisors is the difference between a “Main Street” business, a “Middle Market” business, and a “Mom and Pop” business. Main Street Businesses The International Business Brokers’ Association and other professional intermediary organizations define “Main Street” as any company with a Fair Market Value of less than $3,000,000. That is about the upper limit of a business that can be purchased by an individual using “normal” 20% down financing. He or she is acquiring for the purpose of earning a living. Main Street businesses typically calculate cash flow as Seller’s Discretionary Earnings (SDE). As discussed by ... Read more

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Contingency and Continuity Planning

When business consultants talk about preparing for unforeseen problems, they frequently commingle the terms contingency and continuity. The terms are not synonymous, and there are important differences between them. Contingency Planning Contingency planning is generally accepted to mean how a business will respond in the event of a disaster. This could entail a building fire, severe weather, a strike of key service workers, civil unrest, or riots (depending on the audience.) Additionally, in the age of cybersecurity, ransomware or a denial of service attack, identity theft, and electronic fraud are all well qualified to be categorized as disasters. Generally speaking, these are all insurable events. ... Read more

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Do You Suffer From Decision Addiction?

Do you suffer from decision addiction? The typical business owner lives on dopamine.  According to WebMD: Dopamine is a type of neurotransmitter. Your body makes it, and your nervous system uses it to send messages between nerve cells. That’s why it’s sometimes called a chemical messenger. Dopamine plays a role in how we feel pleasure. It’s a big part of our uniquely human ability to think and plan. Feeling the Rush That’s what business owners do; think and plan. Their lives are a chain of thought processes that go “What if I do this? How will it affect the business? Then what would I do ... Read more

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A Hazy Crystal Ball is Better than a Rearview Mirror

Several years ago, I did a cross-country trip with my family. We laid out a rough plan of what we wanted to see, how long it’d take, and most importantly, what we wanted to eat! When we hit the road, I did not drive looking primarily in the rearview mirror, with an occasional glance at the gas gauge and the road signs. I looked ahead and tweaked the plan. Yet, that is often how business owners run their businesses. Often, this year’s business planning consists of, “let’s do what we did last year – just more of it.” We look at whether we have cash ... Read more

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Die at Your Desk or Go Golfing?

Die at Your Desk or Go Golfing? The truth of the matter is, every small business owner will eventually transition from the business. While most have spent much time working in the business, and at times on the business, they have not given much thought to what to do after the business. Whether you love your work so much that you would be happy to die at your desk, or you would like to devote much more time to your golf game, every small business owner needs to consider how they plan to exit. And planning has significant benefits. The Business Enterprise Institute defines three ... Read more

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Key Employees: Build and Protect Business Value

Key Employees You may have people working in key roles who are instrumental in growing and building the value of your business. These key people can be identified as having the following characteristics: Makes a substantial business contribution Possesses critical information or knowledge Maintains and nourishes key contacts and relationships Sellable Business In helping clients plan to build a sellable business, and then eventually exit on their terms and conditions, we emphasize that “key people are a key value driver” in realizing success in both of those strategic goals. And, we find it helpful for owners to have two categories in mind when considering key ... Read more

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Main Street Business: The Importance of a Written Exit Plan

When planning for a vacation, do you typically jump in the car and just start driving without first determining where you are going? No, of course not. You plan out where you want to go, when you want to leave, what activities you want to do on the trip, and so forth. You create a plan to make sure that you know where you are going and what you are going to be doing. The same principle applies to business owners when transitioning from their Main Street and Mid-Market businesses. Without an exit plan in place, the odds of reaching your end goal are extremely ... Read more

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Non-Qualified Plans

When I talk to business owners about “non-qualified plans,” their first reaction is often “Hold on there. I don’t want to get in trouble!” The term “Non-qualified” merely refers to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, more commonly known as ERISA. As the title indicates, it is the basic set of regulations for retirement plans. If your company offers a 401K or SEP IRA, it has a Qualified Plan. If you have an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), that is also an ERISA plan. Under the terms of ERISA, a plan must be made available to all employees. In return, the company can ... Read more

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