Tag: succession

  • The Long and Short of Succession Planning

    The Long and Short of Succession Planning

    For many business owners, putting together a succession plan may seem like an overwhelming task. It might even seem unnecessary for those who are relatively young and have no intention of giving up ownership anytime soon. But if the past year or so has taught us anything, it’s that anything can happen. Owners who’ve built…

  • ESOPs Offer Businesses a Variety of Potential Benefits

    ESOPs Offer Businesses a Variety of Potential Benefits

    Wouldn’t it be great if your employees worked as if they owned the company? An employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) could make this a reality. Under an ESOP, employee participants take part ownership of the business through a retirement savings arrangement. Meanwhile, the business and its existing owner(s) can benefit from some tax breaks, an…

  • What Lenders Look for in a Succession Plan

    What Lenders Look for in a Succession Plan

    Business owners are urged to create succession plans for the good of their families and their employees. But there’s someone else who holds a key interest in the longevity of your company: Your lender. If you want to maintain a clear path to acquiring the working capital your business may need after you’ve stepped down,…

  • Putting Together the Succession Planning and Retirement Planning Puzzle

    Putting Together the Succession Planning and Retirement Planning Puzzle

    Everyone needs to plan for retirement. But as a business owner, you face a distinctive challenge in that you must save for your golden years while also creating, updating and eventually executing a succession plan. This is no easy task, but you can put the puzzle pieces together by answering some fundamental questions: When do…

  • Using Knowledge Management to Develop Your Succession Plan

    Using Knowledge Management to Develop Your Succession Plan

    As the old saying goes, “Knowledge is power.” This certainly rings true in business, as those who best understand their industries and markets tend to have a knack for staying on top. If that person is a company’s owner, however, great knowledge can turn into a vulnerability when he or she decides to retire or…

  • Family Businesses Need Succession Plans, Too

    Family Businesses Need Succession Plans, Too

    Those who run family-owned businesses often underestimate the need for a succession plan. After all, they say, we’re a family business — there will always be a family member here to keep the company going and no one will stand in the way. Not necessarily. In one all-too-common scenario, two of the owner’s children inherit…

  • Could a Long-Term Deal Ease Your Succession Planning Woes?

    Could a Long-Term Deal Ease Your Succession Planning Woes?

    Some business owners — particularly those who founded their companies — may find it hard to give up control to successors. Maybe you just can’t identify the right person internally to fill your shoes. While retirement isn’t in your immediate future, you know you must eventually step down. One potential solution is to find an…

  • Seven Ways to Prepare Your Business for Sale

    Seven Ways to Prepare Your Business for Sale

    For some business owners, succession planning is a complex and delicate matter involving family members and a long, gradual transition out of the company. Others simply sell the business and move on. There are many variations in between, of course, but if you’re leaning toward a business sale, here are seven ways to prepare: Develop…