Closely Held Business
Nothing is small to the owner who built it
We have never met a small business owner. A privately held company can be an operating enterprise, a source of employment and prosperity, and often a major source of its owner's personal wealth. To the ownership that built it, its importance is not measured by its size.
That makes the decisions surrounding the business both business and financial decisions. Growth, compensation, benefits, ownership, risk, succession, and the eventual transition of the business can each affect the enterprise and the wealth it creates.
We help owners strengthen the business while addressing the financial decisions that come with ownership. Our approach considers the business and the owner as connected, but distinct—bringing together business strategy, investment,
insurance, benefits, and financial planning when they need to work together.
Strengthen the business
Financial performance is essential to a successful business. Sustaining it also depends on the people who drive the business, the incentives that attract and retain them, and the structures that support them.
We help business owners evaluate group benefits, executive compensation, non-qualified incentive arrangements, employee financial planning, executive carve-outs, and key-person strategies.
The objective is to strengthen the business while helping attract, retain, and motivate the people who make it successful.
Protect its value
For many owners, the business represents a substantial part of their personal wealth. Building value is only part of the equation. Knowing what the enterprise is worth—and protecting that value when circumstances change—is equally important.
An unexpected death, disability, loss of a key person, or change in ownership can disrupt the business and diminish the value of the enterprise.
We help identify these risks and put appropriate structures in place to protect continuity and the value that has been created.
Business valuation is an important part of that process. An informed understanding of enterprise value provides a foundation for buy-sell agreements, succession strategies, ownership decisions, and the eventual transition of wealth created through the business.
Prepare for what comes next
Every closely held business eventually faces a significant change—through a sale, succession, merger, recapitalization, closure, or another change in ownership or direction.
We help owners prepare for the financial decisions that accompany those possibilities, including investment of proceeds, retirement income, and estate and legacy objectives.
The goal is not simply to prepare for a transaction. It is to help the owner prepare for the financial consequences of whatever comes next and position the value created by the business for the next stage.
Business and owner—one connected strategy
The business and the owner's wealth may be closely connected, but they require different decisions.
We help coordinate both sides—strengthening the enterprise, protecting the value it creates, and preparing the owner for the financial consequences of success.
Build lasting value for the business and its owners.