Supporting Business Owners Through Every Phase of Ownership

Strategic business planning services that align your company’s success with your personal goals.

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A More Thorough Approach to Business Planning

Our planning aligns strategy, timing, and advisors to help reduce complexity, aiming to minimize risk and improve overall value.

Our Practice Provides

  • Transaction/Exit Planning
  • Growth Planning
  • Tax Planning & Transaction Tax Planning
  • Business Planning
  • Financial Planning
  • Post Transaction Planning
  • Advisory Board Formation
  • Feasibility & Preparedness Assessments

Navigating Business Challenges Is Our Focus

Our practice helps business owners confidently navigate the complexities of transitioning a business by aligning business performance, personal financial security, and long-term goals through a comprehensive, proactive planning process.

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646-928-8775

99 Park Avenue

New York, NY 10016

Running Your Business Isn’t Just Business. It’s Personal.

Comprehensive transition planning to help make your company – and you – transaction ready

Transition and Exit Planning >

When it's time to transition your business, every decision matters. We help business owners maximize value by strengthening the human, structural, customer, and cultural capital that makes your company worth more -and built to last.

Tax Planning & Preparation >

We design and implement tax optimization strategies, including the creation of detailed tax projections and the preparation of personal, trust, and business tax returns.

Business Owner Financial Planning >

We work 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.

Business Owner Advisory >

We work 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.

Partner Businesses

We are a planning partner for privately-held and family-owned businesses through every phase of business ownership.

Frequently Asked Questions

Selling a business is not a single decision. It is a sequence of decisions that begin long before a buyer is ever approached. Owners who ask the right questions early are far more likely to protect value, reduce risk, and achieve
outcomes aligned with their personal and financial goals.

What is my business really worth?

Most owners have a general sense of what they believe their business is worth. Unfortunately, belief and market reality are often very different. Buyers value businesses based on sustainable earnings, risk profile, future growth, and a valuation method formally known as Discounted Cash Flow (DCF). Another area that can cause valuation challenges is cash-based accounting. It can distort performance while creating uncertainty around normalized earnings. Without a clear understanding of value, owners’ risk misaligned expectations, delayed decisions, or walking into negotiations at a disadvantage.

Are there deal breakers that could surface during diligence?

Deal breakers rarely appear out of nowhere. They are often well known by sellers, just not addressed. When these issues surface late in diligence, buyers gain leverage often demanding price reductions, higher earn-outs, accompanied by unfavorable terms. You should ask if there are risks, issues, or past incidents that make your business less attractive to potential buyers? Unfortunately, unaddressed risks do not disappear.
They are either priced into the deal or used as leverage against you during negotiations. Some deal breakers
may include customer concentration, key-person dependency, legal or regulatory exposure, environmental,
safety, operational incidents, weak internal controls or undocumented processes.

Am I willing to accept deep discounts due to lack of preparedness?

Unpreparedness carries a cost that is paid at closing. Selling before you are ready often means leaving value on the negotiating table and unfortunately this lost value cannot be recovered after the transaction closes. In many cases, modest preparation time could have materially improved outcomes.

Do I have the right team to guide the process?

Transactions are not routine business events. They require specialized experience, coordination, and discipline. Many owners rely on advisors who are trusted but are not transaction specialists. Without an integrated, experienced team, gaps emerge, timelines slip, and opportunities are missed. The right team does more than close transactions. They can help preserve value and reduce risk.

Am I personally and financially ready to sell?

Selling impacts identity, lifestyle, family dynamics, and long-term purpose. Without clarity, owners may delay decisions, undermine negotiations, or regret outcomes. Tax planning, deal structure, and transaction timing, incorporated into a formal planning strategy is equally important and can significantly impact after-tax proceeds. Even well-prepared businesses can struggle if the owner is not ready.

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Latest Insights

Brett Dearing

Partner

Corporations

Is Your Business Sellable?

July 6, 2022 - Many owners run their businesses without an exit plan in mind. Then when the time comes to sell, they find out that the way they’ve…

Brett Dearing, Partner

Brett Dearing

Partner

Corporations

How to Bring Your Business Value Up Before You Sell

April 28, 2022 - Preparedness planning is an essential tool for any owner interested in selling their business for maximum value. It provides a framework for owners to take…

Brett Dearing, Partner

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Connect with Our Practice

Tell us about your business planning needs. Schedule a discovery session to discuss your business planning needs, learn more about our services, and determine how we can assist.

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Brett Dearing

Partner

Call us to Schedule: 646-928-8775

Connect with Our Practice

Call Us: 646-928-8775

Let’s get to know each other. Schedule your discovery session to discuss your financial planning needs, learn more about what we offer, and determine whether we’re the right fit for you!

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