Business Succession Planning for Private Companies

Creating Exit Options Comes from Early Planning and Creating Value

Fueled by the roughly eight million Baby Boomers moving toward retirement, the next 10 to 15 years is expected to bring substantial transfers of wealth through both the outright sale of businesses as well as the transition of business ownership to the next generation and key members of management.

Recent conditions have created a favorable market for mergers and acquisitions, and private equity buyers have been a major force in this development.

However, the long-term survival of businesses and the preservation of the wealth created, will depend upon a clear and early focus on strategic business succession planning. Furthermore, while planning for a business succession, owners must also continue to increase the value of their companies. We recommend business owners begin thinking about and planning for a business transition five to ten years before they exit.

For many, the time is now to address business succession. This paper addresses the key areas where private business owners can focus:

• Creating options for ownership transfer, the most prevalent being third party sales or transitions to family members.
• Compelling reasons to plan and start early.
• Making the business more valuable for its owners and successors.