You've spent years — maybe decades — building your business. How it transitions to the next generation, a partner, or a buyer is one of the most consequential financial decisions you'll ever make. Most business owners start this conversation too late. We help you start it at the right time.
Exit & Transition Strategies
Every exit looks different. We help you evaluate and plan for the scenario that best fits your goals:
- Family Succession: Transferring ownership to children or family members, including gifting strategies, buy-sell agreements, and management transition plans.
- Internal Sale: Selling to key employees or management teams, often structured through installment sales or Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs).
- External Sale: Preparing for acquisition by a third party — maximizing valuation, structuring the deal for tax efficiency, and planning for life after the sale.
- Gradual Transition: Phased retirement where you reduce involvement over time while maintaining income and some level of control.
Wealth Transfer & Estate Planning
Succession planning doesn't end at the business. We coordinate your business transition with your broader estate plan to ensure your personal wealth transfers efficiently:
- Business Valuation: Working with qualified appraisers to establish fair market value — essential for gifting, estate tax, and sale planning.
- Gift & Estate Tax Strategy: Utilizing annual exclusions, lifetime exemptions, GRATs, and other tools to transfer wealth with minimal tax impact.
- Trust Structures: Irrevocable life insurance trusts (ILITs), intentionally defective grantor trusts (IDGTs), and dynasty trusts tailored to your family's needs.
- Buy-Sell Agreements: Properly funded and structured agreements that protect all parties and provide liquidity when ownership changes hands.
When to Start Planning
The ideal time to begin succession planning is 5 to 10 years before you intend to transition. This allows time to maximize business value, implement tax-efficient transfer strategies, groom successors, and address any structural issues that could reduce your proceeds or complicate the transition.
That said, it's never too early — and it's never too late. Even if you're not planning to exit for decades, having a basic succession framework protects your family and your business in the event of an unexpected disability or death.
Succession planning requires coordination across disciplines — financial planning, tax, legal, and insurance. We serve as the quarterback, working with your attorney, CPA, and other advisors to ensure every piece fits together.