In The Media

“Begin with the end in mind and start with what you want to actually achieve.”

An exit plan is structured and process driven.

• First - identify value in your business.
• Second - fact find to determine what the business owner wants to achieve.
• Third - use business insights to determine the business owner’s starting point.

“There are so many unsung heroes of the world who are running businesses every single day.”

In the late 2000s, there were no documented processes around exit planning.

With roots in accounting and many advisors focusing on financial planning, there wasn’t a focus purely on exit and succession planning.

Our homes are pretty easy to value. Most owners know the value of their home and comparative data is typically readily available. However, businesses can be hard to value and very difficult to compare. They are complicated assets with multiple factors influencing the valuation, including financial performance, economic trends, industry factors and company-specific risks. In most cases, identifying the key valuation drivers—either positive or negative—is difficult.

SYDNEY, NSW, AUSTRALIA, October 30, 2023 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Succession Plus has recently announced the guest speakers for their upcoming Annual Employee Ownership Conference in November. The event was paused due to the COVID pandemic but is now back in full swing for 2023. The company now supports over 100 employee ownership plans with more than 1,000 employees.

Understanding what drives employee morale is an important factor in maintaining a productive and motivated workforce. While many companies focus on perks, benefits and team-building exercises, fundamental aspects that can significantly boost morale often go overlooked.

When assessed regularly, these aspects can transform any workplace into an environment where employees feel valued, inspired and engaged. To help, 20 Forbes Business Council members share crucial, yet sometimes overlooked keys that will keep employee morale high for the long term.

As a part of our series about “Five Things You Need To Know If You Want To Build, Scale and Prepare Your Business For a Lucrative Exit, I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Craig West.

Dr. Craig West is the Founder and Chairman of Capitaliz, a leading digital platform for exit planners and advisors to deliver scalable business valuation, succession, and exit planning outcomes. As a strategic accountant who has over 20 years of experience advising business owners, Craig has a very strong view that the majority of business owners–and often their advisors–are unprepared and unaware of the steps required to prepare for exit.  

Running a small business is hard work, but for many owners it’s a labour of love that allows them to hand over a valuable asset to the next generation of family members. For others, their business holds the capital for a rewarding retirement.

Despite the value of an enterprise in an owner’s future plans, 83% of owners leave things to chance with no formal succession plans in place.

It seems every small business owner I speak to lately is struggling with the same thing. The compound effect of lockdowns, border closures, the ‘Great Resignation’, the gig economy, rising wages and flexible work arrangements is making attracting and retaining good people tough.

At our own firm, where we focus on succession planning for privately-owned businesses, we often hear of job candidates we’re considering being offered sign-on bonuses and salary bumps to sweeten the deal elsewhere.

Succession planning is becoming a big area of opportunity for financial planners as baby boomers retire in droves.

Craig West, executive chair at Succession Plus explains that many baby boomers are business owners who require additional support along the journey to retirement because their affairs are more complicated.

As trusted advisers to SMEs, accountants need to discuss with their clients the impact non-financial metrics can have on their firm’s development.

Accountants must have a conversation with their small business clients about non-financials to improve their risk management and growth, says the founder of advisory firm Succession Plus Craig West.

He said the volatile economic climate had pushed lenders to avoid risk, which meant businesses needed to reevaluate their non-financial metrics.

I recently completed doctoral research on succession planning. Yes, I dedicated seven years of my life to studying the ins and outs of what happens when a business owner decides to pass the torch.

For me, the question of how to exit is the most important financial decision an owner will make, and I’ve built a business of helping other founders figure it out.

Nobody knows your business and its culture better than your employees. So, is selling it to them an effective way to exit your business?

A growing number of business directors are making the decision to pass a controlling stake in their company to their employees.

Employee-owned businesses enjoy various tax advantages and often experience higher productivity and greater economic resilience.

Employee ownership can be a complex and time-consuming option, however, so it’s important to take expert advice and ensure it fits with your long-term financial goals.