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by Colleen Kowalski on January 4, 2022
As we begin a new year, we cannot help but reminisce about a few of our favorite articles from 2021. This past year we celebrated team successes, watched the Summer Olympics, found exit planning lessons in television and film, and even planted a tomato garden or two.
Take a look back at our most popular pieces from 2021 as we begin another year educating business owners and advisors about exit planning!
Your Baby is Ugly: Top 3 Reasons No One Wants to Buy Your Business
As a business owner, you have spent the majority of your life working on and in your business. You have cared for your employees and your customers, you know your business inside and out, and you think it should be worth top dollar when you go to sell. We hate to be that friend, but your “baby” may be ugly.
Creating a Balanced Business Exit Strategy- The Tokyo 2020 Olympics
Flexibility and strength are some of the most important skills to have in gymnastics. Imagine running full speed at a stationary object and then flipping over three full times in the air without flexibility and strength. It would be impossible. These same skills are needed to build value in a business. As a business consultant or professional advisor, you are an owner’s go-to person for improving their business before a sale by highlighting areas where owners might have to be flexible.
The Gardener And The Tomato Plant: Harvest Your Business Value
In this story, the tomato plant is much like the owner’s business, while the tomato itself is much like the business owner’s wealth trapped inside this illiquid asset. Many business owners who started their companies in their backyards, their garages, or bedrooms have built their company over the course of 20 or more years. They have sacrificed, invested, lost money, and made money. If the business owner today has a significant company, they have something that is harvestable. A business with a transferable value.
Read More...Learn about ESOPs from Industry Experts
We interviewed Keith Apton and Nick Francia, both Financial Advisors with UBS Global Wealth Management’s Capital ESOP Group, about the rise of ESOPs and how they can benefit both the exiting owner and the employees of the business they’re exiting.
How to Improve Your Business Reach with User-Generated Content
In this day and age, almost every business professional understands that marketing and a social media presence are important. But not everyone understands what makes for a strong presence. How do you promote your brand without coming across as pushy, salesy, or unrelatable? And in the professional advisor industry, how do you effectively get your message across in a very visual medium like Instagram?
Read More...3 Ways to Improve Your Conversations with Business Owners
With an understanding of your client base, how to connect with potential clients, and expert conversational tips, professional advisors can successfully grow their portfolio of business owner clients. Sean Hutchinson, CEPA and Partner, Strategic Development and Partnerships at Ready For Next Advisory Group (RFN), shares his expertise on understanding your potential business owner clients.
A Trip to the Movies: Business Exit Strategies in Classic Films
Some of the most popular movies incorporate exit planning lessons into their plot, whether intentionally or by chance. We compiled a list of some of our favorite movies with exit planning topics for your next movie night!
Grow Your Exit Planning Knowledge at The Exit Planning Summit
The Exit Planning Institute is excited to officially announce the location of our 2022 Exit Planning Summit! For the first time since 2019, we will be hosting the industry-leading conference on exit planning for our professional advisor community.
Read More...Top 5 Reasons Why Family Business Successions Fail
We spoke with Christine Trumball, CPA and Founder of Coach the Climb, and Judi Cunningham, Founder of the Telos Group, about the key factors that cause family successions to fail. Christine and Judi have been advising family businesses for over 26 years. With their Certified Exit Planning Advisor credential, they understand not only the dynamics of a family business succession but how to help owners through the challenges that come with planning a successful transition.
Exit Planning Lessons in Your Favorite Television Shows
The landscape of American television spans dramas, comedies, dramatic comedies, and comedic dramas. Once you become a master of exit planning, you begin seeing exit planning topics everywhere. From classic movies to award-winning television shows. Recently, we asked our advisor community for suggestions of their favorite television shows that featured exit planning topics either directly or indirectly.
Read More...Here’s What We’re Reading: A Curated List of Books for the Advisor or Business Owner in Your Life
We curated a selection of our favorite books for the business owner or professional advisor in your life. Whether you are looking to build value in your personal and professional life, strengthen your leadership skills, or prepare for your business exit, we have the perfect book for you.
