FAQs for Business Owners: Working with an experienced financial advisor

As a business owner in your peak earning and transition years, hiring a personal financial advisor or wealth manager isn't about finding someone to "manage a stock portfolio." It's about working with an advocate who understands how to migrate illiquid business value into accessible personal wealth.

Your business may be your greatest asset; we work to help it become the foundation of everything that follows.

Q: I already have a CPA and an attorney. Why do I need a financial advisor if I’m thinking about selling my business in the next few years?

A: Your CPA can help you with tax-aware decision-making and handle annual compliance; your attorney helps protect you during contract execution. A financial advisor can help bridge the gap between “enterprise value” (what your business is worth) and “net equity value” (what actually lands in your personal bank account after taxes, fees, and debt clearance).

We help calculate your "wealth gap" – which is what you need to net after tax to sustain your current lifestyle post-exit, helping to ensure your personal financial goals are at the forefront of decision-making.

Q: At what point before a transition should I involve a financial advisor?

A: Ideally, 3 to 5 years before a planned exit. This runway gives us time to help assess your corporate structure, implement advanced retirement plans to reduce net income, and clean up personal expenses running through the business that could otherwise drag down a valuation during a buyer's due diligence.

Q: How do you handle the complexities of a business transition?

A: We look at your entire personal and professional picture and help create a transition planning roadmap. There are different considerations depending on whether you are in growth mode, the transition phase, or post-sale.

We help you to analyze capital efficiency and financing, help prevent the loss of top talent, explore pre-sale gifting and trust strategies, and assess your personal financial “hygiene”.

We help address your concerns ahead of life-changing decisions!

Q: How do you coordinate with my existing team of professionals?

A: We prefer to act as the coordinator or "quarterback" of your wealth team. We do not replace your CPA or attorney; instead, we help bring them a unified personal financial blueprint so that everyone can pull in the same direction. We help ensure that your estate and deal attorneys, corporate CPA, and investment banker are all working toward the same goals as you and your family.