If there is no one to buy your business, you shut it down. In a liquidation you sell off your assets, collect your accounts receivables, pay of outstanding debt, and keep what’s left, if anything for yourself.
The primary reason to consider liquidation is that a business lacks sufficient income producing capacity apart from the direct [...]

You might begin the business transfer process with the thought that a sale to a key employee, co-owner or family member is the path to maximum cash on departure. This is very seldom the case. With proper preparation, more often than not, you can maximize the net dollars you receive by selling to a third [...]

One of the advantages of having other owners in your business is that they can be your means to retirement.  A common retirement planning technique is to take on a younger minority partner while you are still active. Upon your retirement, the younger owner will purchase your remaining stock.
This can be advantageous because the younger [...]

Stephen owned a successful health care business in the San Francisco Bay Area. He knew the time had come to transfer ownership of his business. He had started the company over 25 years ago, had poured his energy, talent and money into it and was proud of its success. Stephen had two sons working in [...]

Just last week I met with the owners of a manufacturing company in San Jose, California. Husband and wife had started the business 30 years ago and over the years had brought in their son and brother in law to work in the business. Now well into their 60s, the owners want to retire while [...]

We talked about the importance of determining your departure objectives as a first step to leaving your business under most favorable conditions. One of the goals outlined was deciding to whom you will transfer the business: children or family members; key employees; co-owners; or a third party known or unknown.
It is important to appreciate the [...]

Business owners often ask, “How much is my business worth?” The question may be irrelevant and a much better question is: “What is the most I can get for my business under the most favorable terms and conditions?” Answering this question in a more practical manner requires following one of two approaches. The first is [...]

We’ve talked about some important steps in developing a successful business exit plan: Setting a tentative Departure Date so that Advisors can put all planning efforts in context;  assessing your post-retirement financial needs because meeting them is a key measure of your Exit Plan’s success; choosing a successor to give structure to your Exit Plan. Keep in mind, it is not [...]

You, or someone very close to you, are part of 78 million Americans that make up the largest population segment in the United States: Baby Boomers. This generation is classified as anyone born between 1946 and 1964. According to a recent study by BIG Research, 9% of boomers with household incomes exceeding $50,000 are small [...]

 
A lot of business owners ask me, “When should I develop my business exit strategy? and how far in advance of my departure should I build my plan?” My answer is always immediately! A strong business exit plan is dynamic document to be reviewed and updated frequently as conditions change. Change in your personal goals, your [...]