There’s no resource more valuable than time for business owners considering financially transformative liquidity events. By beginning the pre-liquidity planning process as early as possible—and carefully weighing personal and financial implications—owners can ensure they achieve the outcomes they desire and deserve as they work to turn years of hard work into an enduring legacy.
In the video below, William Blair’s Chris Brathwaite describes the dynamics owners must navigate as part of pre-planning and how customized solutions can maximize value creation.
Video Transcript
For company founders and family owners, navigating a financially transformative liquidity event can be overwhelming. Business owners have worked tirelessly to take their enterprises to the next level. They deserve customized solutions to turn their hard work into an enduring financial legacy. Time is your most valuable resource, and pre-liquidity planning provides a proactive and personalized strategy to maximize value creation. Because we have worked with hundreds of founders and family owners, we understand how critical it is to weigh the personal financial implications of a potential transaction. We pride ourselves on our ability to assemble a coordinated team of advisors and proactively work with business owners to clarify their vision for a transaction, including ways to maximize their after tax proceeds. If we were to offer just one piece of advice, it would be this, planning for an owner's next chapter should begin as soon as possible to ensure that they achieve the outcome they desire and deserve.
Owners can use several strategies and vehicles, each with their own advantages and disadvantages, to maximize the financial impact of a transaction. We help owners understand and navigate dynamics such as utilizing lifetime gift exemptions, taking advantage of tax strategies such as qualified small business stock election, integrating philanthropic goals into a transaction, and determining the proper asset location of rollover equity. With an 87 year history of guiding business owners through major liquidity events, we are committed to helping our clients achieve their goals. We believe that when our clients succeed, our success will follow. We invite you to learn more about turning your wealth into an enduring legacy.