You may have built a successful business but have you planned your exit strategy?
Preparing for succession may not be at the forefront of every business – but it should be. Having a succession plan allows for employees, owners and the company itself to have a clear direction on how the company will move forward in its life cycle. Often, the best way to explain a concept is to share a real life story. Recently my Father, Phil Singer, and I were published in a nationally distributed magazine called Collision Quarterly. It is directed to members of the ARA (Automotive Retailers Association).
The article describes how our team at Singer Olfert assisted my Dad in the selling of his business a few years back. I will summarize the two-page article and you may click the link to read more about our story. Read more
Unfortunately, unlike many of our childhood heroes, we aren’t invincible… we can’t all be Superman or Batman, yet we still pretend like we are. The thought of an injury is the last thing that’s on our mind; yet we still have no problem helping a friend move, playing sports on the weekend, or doing chores around the house from the never ending “Honey Do- List”.
But what if we were to become injured off the job? Read more
Know What You’re Getting From Your Financial Advisor
Do you know how much you are paying your financial advisor? Are they doing a good job for you? Those both seem like reasonable questions, but most people cannot answer them. Can you?
One of the services that financial advisors provide is to manage your investments. When it comes to the world of investments, there are many different types you can choose from as well as many different people that offer them. So it’s no wonder that it can leave consumers with their head spinning. Here’s some information to help you make sure that you are receiving the best service for your situation. Read more
The Latte Factor…
No matter how much money one makes you can always find a way to spend it. Does your income keep going up but yet there is no extra money at the end of the month? Do you know where your money has gone? What happens in retirement once your income is fixed? Read more
Planning On Selling Your Business…
Are you approaching retirement and planning on selling your business?
As an entrepreneur, you dreamed of building your own successful business. After all those years of hard work, you plan to reap the rewards in the form of a successful business sale. Sounds like a great plan! But, making the sale is not as easy as it may appear. Read more
Not knowing could cost you thousands!
Did you purchase the coverage offered to you by your lender? Most people have a mortgage in Canada and it is typically the largest debt most Canadians will ever assume. Before buying a house people will research and compare to find the best mortgage rates and terms but not necessarily the best insurance coverage. Read more
How technology has made a difference…
Remember that great invention, the magic eight ball? You ask it a question, shake it and then turn it over to reveal the answer. If only all of life’s difficult questions could be answered so easily!
When it comes to retirement planning, people have a lot of questions but often times they do not know how to address them. Our goal is to help our clients have a clear understanding of where they are at financially, where they want to be in the future and how to get there. Sounds simple and yet so many Canadians are not prepared for retirement. Read more
How To Best Use This Investment Account
What is a Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) and how can you benefit from it?
Since it was launched back in 2009, financial advisors and institutions have added a new investment acronym, TFSA. While there has been lots of discussion and advertising about TFSAs, it still seems that there is confusion about how to best use this tool. Read more
Prepare Your Business For Sale
Only 9% of business owners have a documented transition plan in place and yet 70% of small business owners plan to transition in the next 10 years*! As a financial planner I continue to meet business owners who are planning to sell or transition their company but they do not have a plan. Typically they are either unsure of the process, so they procrastinate or the business is their baby and they do not want to let it go. It is understandable that a major decision like this is hard to make, especially without someone to assist you.
When a business owner is considering selling here are some things to consider:
1. Don’t Leave the Party Last – You see this with professional athletes when they face the question of when to retire? In my opinion you are either growing your business or it is shrinking it, there is no standing still. A lot of business owners later in their career can get into maintenance mode, which usually means the business is starting to decrease in revenues. At first the revenues may hold but after a couple of years you typically see them start to decline. If you want to maximize your selling price and be attractive to potential buyers be careful to wait too long.
2. It Takes Time – Selling a business can take you longer than you think. You need to find the right candidate to take over your business. You are looking for an individual that is an entrepreneur; remember there are more employees in the world than business owners. Also, in most transitions the current owner is asked to stay with the company to assist with the passing of the reigns. You should plan for 1-2 years to sell. This means you should be creating a plan 5-7 years prior to your planned exit.
3. Change – Every industry is faced with changes due to technology, regulatory, competition, etc. If you owned a video or record store in the 80 or 90’s, when was the best time to get out? What if the technology that Google is working on to make it so that cars drive themselves eliminate car accidents in the future. Could that affect you if you own an auto body business? What changes face your business?
4. Financials – Often times the financial statements for a business are ignored until it is too late. Yet they will play a very important role in the sale of the business. You want to make sure that your financials present the best view of your company so that a potential buyer is enticed to make an offer.
There are many things to consider when selling a business. The first is to get a professional that can assist you with putting a plan together to ensure that you maximize the value, save tax, and control when and how you sell your business. As with any financial strategy we would recommend ensuring that you have your personal situation reviewed by a professional to make sure that is done in the best way possible. If you have any questions or would like your plan reviewed feel free to contact us.
*Source – http://www.advocis.ca/Update2014/index.html