There are a unique set of issues related to small business owner and estate planning. As an estate planning and small business attorney, I’ve seen what happens when there’s no planning and the impact that it has on a family. Especially, when most businesses provide, not only for your employees, but for your family using the business assets.
When there’s a slow month, your employees get paid, but you put off that household purchase for another month or so until things “pick back up.” Trust me, I know exactly what you’re going through.
Over the years, we’ve discovered that is a specific set of issues related to estate planning for small business owners like taxes, transfer of wealth, and family & financial well-being. And given the constant changes in the economy, how google ranks websites, and Facebook’s advertising platform, you’re probably focusing most of your energy on business survival, future growth, and possibly considering retirement.
As you know it’s important for you to stay on top of all of the changes, but …
… what about your future?
… what about maintaining your families quality of life?
… do you have a contingency plan?
… who’s going to manage and run your business if something happens to you?
… who’s going to make sure the trains leave the station on time?
… what about collecting payments and sending invoices?
Will it be your spouse? Will it be a key employee? Or maybe someone else. Chances are you think you don’t have time to put worry about the future, but you’re WRONG. You can’t afford not to plan for the future.
Think about this… everyday, you wake up wanting to help someone solve a problem, by purchasing your products and services. You book appointments receive orders, you provide your service/product, receive payment, pay your employees, pay some bills and bring the rest home to your family. You know, like I know, your family is counting on you to provide for them – the mortgage payment, cellphone bills, utilities, and any other miscellaneous expense. Then on one day something happens to you, maybe you get sick and are hospitalized or maybe its worst. I’ve seen far too often a business suffer when the conductor is absent/unavailable to make sure the trains leave on time.
To make matters worst, no planning was done. So no one, other than your executor or other court appointed representative, can access your accounts., which leaves the business accounts frozen; no services provided by employees because no one can get paid; payments can be received and not disbursed until the Court appoints someone. Where does that leave your family?
You see far too often, we’ve cases get tied up in Probate Court for a minimum of 6 months and longer in some situations.
Let’s protect your family together.
Over the years, we’ve discovered that there’s a specific set of issues related to estate planning for small business owners ranging from taxes and risk management to your family and financial well-being. Not to mention the piece of mind that goes along with having a plan in case the unthinkable happens. As a result of all the demands on a small business owner from constant changes in the economy, business specific laws, google rankings, and the latest Facebook advertising algorithm, we’ve develop a Small Business Estate Planning Package.
In our Small Business Estate Planning Package, we focus on the Foundation, the Fortress, and the Future
The Small Business Estate Planning Package includes:
- The Foundation – which is a Living Will or Living Trust along with a Durable Power of Attorney;
- The Fortress – which is our Operating Agreement to protect the business and daily operations including the death or incapacity of a member; and
- The Future – which consists of a Basic Business Succession Plan to dictate the transition of wealth and how financial decisions will be made for the longevity of the business and to minimize tax liability.
- Other outside services – Life Insurance
You focus on growing your business, we’ll handling protecting your family.
There are two Small Business Estate Planning Packages: the Will-based Package and the Trust-based Package. All of our packages come with a Free 3 year review to discuss an important changes in your life.
Now you may be wondering which package should I choose? My recommendation is that you give us Schedule a Consultation to discuss the options, but for some clients the Trust based Package is best for several reasons – it’s completely private; you bypass Probate Court and the delays; your assets transfer immediately and aren't frozen by the banks; and you save on legal fees related to Probate Court, Probate Court costs and estate taxes depending on the size of the business.
Let's take an important step together.