Broker Check

BUSINESS PLANNING


Supporting you throughout the business cycle


We know what it's like to run a business. As business owners, we are experienced and can help with whatever keeps you up at night...
throughout all stages of your business's lifecycle.

Start-up

In the early days of starting your business, the hours are long and the pressures high. You are generally on your own—with few or no employees. You probably have one product or service under development and a few assets in place. There is a critical need for financing capital, but without a proven cash flow record, funding may be hard to come by. At this stage, consider the following financial planning strategies:

Risk Management: Protect yourself and your ability to do business in the event of your own disability or the loss of a key employee.

Employee Benefits: Consider offering basic benefits to help attract and retain valuable employees.

Business Succession: Although you're likely focused on short-term goals, some succession strategies can take years to fund and implement. So, the sooner you start thinking about how you want to transition your business, the sooner you can start putting in place the plan that will get you there.

Personal Planning: Take steps to protect yourself, your family, your assets, and create or continue to refine estate and retirement savings plans.


Growth

As your business grows, your product line or service offerings are probably diversifying. You may be adding staff and—like many business owners—you may find it challenging to recruit and retain the best and brightest. You may also bring in partners and have concerns about allocating assets. At this stage, consider the following financial planning strategies:

Risk Management: Review and update business plans you've made to protect yourself and better ensure business continuity.

Employee Benefits: Offer a qualified retirement plan and personal financial planning for all employees. Enhance your program with additional benefits to attract and retain key employees.

Business Succession: Take steps to calculate your business's value, choose a new owner and prepare a buy-sell agreement, which is a document that facilitates the smooth transition of ownership between you and a partner or key employee who will succeed you.

Personal Planning: Review and update your plans and coverage to help ensure you and your family are financially fit.


Maturity

Now, as your business matures, you may be weighing your options. Should you continue to grow what you have or expand into something new? As you consider the possibilities at this stage in your business’s life cycle, make the following financial planning strategies a priority:

Employee Benefits:  Regularly review and update your programs to ensure competitiveness in attracting and retaining employees at all skill levels.

Business Succession: As your business has grown, does your succession plan reflect a higher value, and is funding the plan on track? Regularly review and update your strategy to ensure the orderly transfer of your business.


 

Transfer

As you prepare to leave your business and transition it to your successor, take the following steps:

Risk Management: Share with your successor and key employees the business plans you have in place to prepare for the unexpected.

Employee Benefits:  Have the new owner continue the benefit plans that are in place to better ensure a smooth transition for employees, since human capital is the most important asset of your business.

Business Succession: Execute your strategy and encourage the new owner to develop his or her own succession plan.

Personal Planning: Enjoy the rewards of your hard work with an income stream that will support the retirement lifestyle you envision for yourself and your family.

Additional Links and Resources

Choosing a Business Structure

Choosing a Business Structure

Entrepreneurs all face the same question, “Which business structure should I adopt?”
Learn More
Insuring Your Business Against Cyber Liability

Insuring Your Business Against Cyber Liability

90% of small businesses in the U.S. don't protect their data from cyber attacks. Is your business at risk?
Learn More
Still Have a Question?

Still Have a Question?

Let's get connected today.

Contact Us