November 3, 2015

It’s very likely that a business could turn out to be the largest asset held within a family. But fairness of how to deal with this in terms of succession planning can arise as an issue if all family members are not involved in the conversation in one way or another. Especially in the event that the business is sold, non-members could be unhappy if they feel as though their distribution is smaller. There are also challenges if full and equal distribution is made because this can place a burden on members active within the business.

One way to handle this situation and to even the playing field is to use life insurance allowing for a gradual buy out of non-members. And this also eliminates concerns associated with managing equal distributions. One of the most important ways to handle this challenge is to sit down with all family members and discuss the potential future of the business.

A business owner could be under the impression that one or more of his children or other relatives are interested in continuing on with the business. But a conversation brings this issue front and center and gives clarity to any concerns. In addition to hosting the initial conversation about how to handle business succession planning, it’s also important for the business to be valued accurately before any distributions are made considering depreciating factors like the lack of marketability.   Contact us today to learn more about business succession planning.