5 Ways Small Business Owners Can Help Protect Themselves from Tariffs
Running Your Business Isn’t Just Business. It’s Personal.
Comprehensive transition planning to help make your company – and you – transaction ready
Your company is thriving. When is the right time to start thinking about the next stage or making a transition? At retirement? Five years before? Now?
The decision to transition your business – either by sale or succession plan – is one of the most difficult and emotional decisions you’ll ever have to make. After all, you’ve devoted a significant part of your life to building and growing your company.
We work closely with owners of privately-held businesses to help them create and execute transition plans that provide a seamless and successful exit for themselves, their families, and other stakeholders.
Why start planning now? On average, it can take up to two years from the time you make your transition decision to the time the transaction closes.
- Business planning to enhance enterprise value and choose the right transition team
- Financial planning to maximize net proceeds and mitigate tax liabilities
- Personal planning to prepare you and your family for life after the transaction
Business owners often wonder about the value of their businesses and whether they should extract some or all of it at any given time. We assist business owners in exploring the merits and best options for realizing this value."Brett Dearing, Partner
Transition Planning Drives Better Outcomes
You likely have big plans for your transaction proceeds—a new business venture, a passion project, an activity-filled retirement. Fulfilling this vision depends on you maximizing the net amount you receive and putting the funds to work for you. That’s where we come in.
Through our exit planning process, we help you:
- Understand how prospective buyers view and appraise your business
- Identify, prioritize, and minimize value detractors and other risks
- Create a plan that maximizes your post-tax proceeds
- Invest the proceeds in a portfolio that aligns with your goals and financial situation
Preparation. Preparation. Preparation.
Failure to prepare is one of the primary reasons most businesses don’t sell, or sell for substantially less than expected. Our established exit-planning process helps you avoid being one of them. We’re by your side during every stage of the transition—pre-transaction, transaction, and post-transaction.
1
Assessment of Liquidity Options
There are many ways to transition a business such as selling to a family member, a managed buyout, or recapitalization. The best option for you is the one that matches your goals and long-term vision. We help you weigh the positives and negatives of each choice so you can make a sound decision.
2
360° Business Audit and Enterprise Valuation
To secure the best price for your business, you need to enter negotiations with the highest possible valuation. We conduct a thorough analysis of your company to assess its “sale readiness” and identify issues that may make it less attractive to buyers.
3
Business Planning and Implementation
Identifying potential “value detractors” is just the first step. Next, we work with you to develop a 30-,60- and 90-day action plan to resolve the issues that have the greatest impact on offer price.
4
Formation of Transaction Team
Transitioning a business is a complex legal and financial transaction involving investment bankers, M&A attorneys, accountants, and other advisors. We help you identify the right people for your team, negotiate engagement letters, and establish communication workflows.
5
Comprehensive Transaction Management
You don’t have time to worry about the day-to-day activities involving the transaction. We serve as your project manager, working behind the scenes with your investment banker to streamline the flow of information and coordinate other team members.
6
Goals-Based Personal Advice
A successful transition also depends on the owner’s readiness. Are you emotionally prepared for the sale? What are your plans for the future? How will you manage the proceeds? We work with you to create a comprehensive financial plan that gives you the confidence to embark on the next chapter of your life.
Explore Our Offerings for Individuals and Families
What’s on Our Minds
With prediction markets pointing to Democratic gains and likely gridlock in Washington, investors may welcome the resolved uncertainty, as stocks have risen in the 12 months after every midterm since 1950, leaving corporate earnings (driven largely by AI) as the key focus with state-level races potentially shaping data center development.
Diversification Strategies for AI Concentration Across Asset Classes
AI-linked companies now represent roughly half of S&P 500 market capitalization. And the concentration doesn’t stop at the technology sector.
The 2026 Year-End Financial Planning Checklist
Our 2026 checklist will help you take stock of your savings, investments, retirement planning, tax exposure, and risk management, so you can plan for any actions that may be needed before the end of the year.
The Tax Drag Hiding in Your Long-Term Financial Plan
You’ve saved diligently. You have an IRA, a 401(k), and maybe an annuity. But there are decisions embedded in common retirement account structures that many people don’t realize until it’s too late.
Private Placement Life Insurance
The concept behind PPLI is simple: by investing inside a life insurance policy, you take advantage of the favorable tax treatment granted to life insurance. Learn more.
The 2026 Year-End Financial Planning Checklist
Our 2026 checklist will help you take stock of your savings, investments, retirement planning, tax exposure, and risk management, so you can plan for any actions that may be needed before the end of the year.
Webinar Recording: Tax Optimization and Thoughtful Wealth Planning for Liquidity Events
A liquidity event—whether from a business sale, IPO, merger, or other transaction—creates a unique opportunity to design plans that minimize tax exposure and shape a lasting legacy. Watch our webinar to learn more.
Same Standard: What Plan Fiduciaries Should Watch to Close Out 2026
In the fourth quarter, several items are converging for retirement plan sponsors. Target-date funds continue evolving toward retirement income features while incorporating new asset classes. Additionally, AI is changing how participants get information and support from their recordkeepers, and SECURE 2.0’s remaining required and optional provisions bring a full year-end document and administration checklist. Meanwhile, […]
Splitting Retirement Accounts in Divorce
When going through a divorce, the process of dividing assets can be a frustrating and confusing one. Retirement assets are an important issue in any divorce proceeding, since, after the marital home, they often represent the largest category of marital assets to be divided in a divorce settlement.
Frequently Asked Questions About Wealth and Tax Planning for International Entrepreneurs
A growing number of international entrepreneurs are building companies that require a presence in the United States. For these founders, the move brings a distinct set of questions that differ meaningfully from a typical relocating family.
