How We Work with Business Owners

Step 1: Discovery Call

We start by understanding your situation. What type of business do you own? What are your current tax challenges? Are you planning an exit? Who are your current advisors?

What We Cover:

• Business structure and current tax situation
• Net worth and estate planning status
• Timeline for selling, transitioning, or stepping back
• Current advisors (CPA, attorney, financial advisor)

Step 2: Assessment & Coordination

We gather information and coordinate with your existing professional team.

What We Review:

• Last 2-3 years of tax returns
• Entity structure (LLC, S-Corp, C-Corp, partnership)
• Estate documents (wills, trusts, powers of attorney)
• Insurance policies, investment accounts and retirement plans
• Business financials and ownership agreements

Coordination:

We have you connect us with your CPA and Attorney (business and/or estate) to understand their perspective and identify gaps. If you’ve outgrown your current advisors, we can introduce you to specialists who work with business owners at your level.

Gap Analysis:

• Are you in the 35-43% tax bracket but only deferring $23,000 through a 401k?
• Is your estate plan outdated?
• Does your buy-sell agreement funding match your current business valuation?
• Are your advisors working together or would your team benefit from a quarterback?

Step 3: Strategy Development

We build a comprehensive plan addressing income tax reduction, estate tax minimization, and business exit or succession preparation.

Integrated Planning:

• Retirement plan design coordinates with your CPA’s year-end tax strategy
• Estate trust structure aligns with your business succession timeline
• Insurance policies are titled to match your legal documents
• Investment strategy reflects your retirement and exit timeline, and tax sensitivity

Deliverable:
A written strategy outlining tax reduction opportunities, estate planning recommendations, exit readiness steps, insurance analysis, and a coordination plan showing who does what and when.

We present the strategy to you and your professional team together. Your CPA knows what the estate attorney is drafting. Your attorney knows how the retirement plan impacts tax strategy.

Step 4: Implementation

We execute the plan with your team. Your estate attorney drafts documents. Your CPA implements tax strategies. We coordinate to ensure nothing falls through the cracks.

Typical Implementation:

• Opening and funding retirement accounts
• Establishing trusts and updating estate documents
• Restructuring entity ownership or creating management companies
• Implementing insurance solutions
• Positioning assets for tax-efficient growth

Timeline: 30-90 days depending on complexity.

Step 5: Ongoing Review

We meet on a regular schedule to review progress, adjust strategies, and keep your plan aligned as your business grows and tax laws change.

Review Frequency:

• Quarterly: Active exit planning or complex estate structures
• Bi-annually: Evolving tax situations or succession timelines
• Annually: Stable situations with established plans

What We Review:
Tax returns, business valuation changes, estate plan funding, market conditions, legal changes, and life events.