Independent Planning Group Inc (IPG)

Services for Business Owners

As business owners ourselves, we understand all about working long, hard hours. We realize that you’re constantly thinking about your business, and are focused on achieving success.

You believe you’re building something of value that many people will be lining up to purchase when you decide to retire. Or perhaps your intention is to develop a prosperous company, to pass on to a family member.

If a family member wishes to take over your business, how will you be fairly rewarded for the value you have created? What will your business sell for? What happens if it’s less than you thought? Would you benefit from forward planning regarding business succession or intergenerational wealth transfer (we help strategize 5 – 10 years ahead). Are you planning now for your exit from the business (retirement or sale)? Are the right players in position? (we facilitate) What would happen to your family, your business partners, your employees and your business, if you became disabled tomorrow and could no longer work? Or even worse, if you died tomorrow?

Many business owners are so distracted with the day-to-day pressures of running their company that they fail to allow enough time for their own financial planning, business succession strategies and retirement planning. This is where we may be of assistance. Working with a number of business owners over the years, we have developed expertise in the following areas:

•	Understanding current and future business objectives and challenges
•	Corporate cash planning
•	Tax Planning (owners’ income - i.e. dividends versus salary)
•	Corporate investment portfolio selection
•	Owning a building versus leasing
•	Group RRSPs, and employee insurance benefits
•	Corporate risk management
•	Analyzing current life and disability insurance on key people
•	Ensuring corporate liability insurance is in place
		· Developing strategies for potential creditor protection
•	Estate Planning
		· Feasibility of an estate freeze
		· Use of trusts (living and testamentary)
		· Equalization among heirs
		· Spousal income strategies
•	Business succession planning – assist in developing owners’ retirement plan
•	Facilitating the succession process
		· Ideas and strategies for selling a business
		· Explain valuation methods and tax ramifications of various strategies
		· Assist in negotiation strategies for sale to new owners
		· Design the process and materials for buyout meetings
		· Chair and/or mediate family meetings for family owned business
		· Facilitate employee buyout strategies
•	Develop equalization strategies for children not part of a family business

If you have questions about any of the items listed above, Carol Clements, Independent Planning Group (Stouffville), would be pleased to discuss this with you in further detail.