Facts on Exit Planning

  • Almost 50% have no plan to transfer ownership, management and control, and the percentage is even higher for companies that have been in business for less than 20 years
  • Nearly 60% of closely held companies have failed to gauge the potential tax exposure upon a transfer of ownership
  • 25% are due to change hands within the next 5 years
  • About 90% of owners of closely held companies would like to transfer ownership, management and control of their companies to family or non-family key employees. Less than 50% manage to do so
  • Only 33% have defined criteria for hiring and promoting family members who want to take an active role in the business
  • Over 33% of closely held companies have no procedures in place for dealing with disputes between family member owners

1The statistics provided above have been derived from a variety of surveys of closely held business owners including: the PricewaterhouseCoopers 2007-2008 survey of nearly 1,500 closely held companies; the 2007 survey of 800 closely held businesses by the University of Connecticut School of Business Administration Survey; and the 2003 Arthur Andersen/Mass Mutual American Family Business Survey.

Exit News

Case Study: "Fear of the Unknown" PDF Print E-mail
business-owner-thinking-about-selling

Situation and Objectives:

 
  • John is 61 years old, the President and majority shareholder of regional plumbing and heating company with $55 million in sales.
  • He receives weekly unsolicited calls from business brokers and investment bankers with offers to buy or sell the company.
  • He knows that he needs to plan for his eventual exit from the business and the calls are a constant reminder that he hasn't done anything yet.
  • John is concerned that the callers' best interests may not be his.

Solution:


  • Company owners, directors and key employees now think like a buyer...
  • With a clear understanding of the company's value and the key drivers of the valuation, John and the other shareholders and Board of Directors concluded that although today was not the right time to take the company to market, it would be ready to go to market in the next 12-24 months.
  • Restructuring the company saved significant taxes upon sale and facilitated a less complicated sale transaction.
  • A "Stay Bonus Plan" was implemented to entice the company's key employees to stay through closing and add employment restrictions to prevent value dilution from a buyer's perspective.
  • John was now armed with the tools to choose the right investment banker to sell the company on his schedule and on his terms.
 
Case Study: “Fair does not Mean Equal” PDF Print E-mail
couple-pondering-business-exit

Situation and Objectives:

 
  • Sharon (63) and Tom (67) are husband and wife co-owners and officers of a specialty electronic component manufacturing company with $13 million in sales.
  • Sharon and Tom both receive salaries from the company as well as rent for the lease of 2 business real estate properties, which they own personally. They also own 4 other parcels of valuable real estate: their primary residence, a vacation home and 2 local mixed use warehouse/office properties.
  • They have 3 married grown children: Alex, Barb and Charlie. Alex is actively involved in the business. Barb just came back to work for the company after a several year stint with an unrelated business she co-founded with a couple college friends. Charlie works in the music industry.
  • Treating all their children fairly was an important concern.

Solution:

  • Sharon and Tom are now confident that they can safely leave the business while maintaining family harmony and financial security…
  • The company created a strategic vision and process for executing it, allowing the family to work together to set future direction, and protect Sharon’s and Tom’s legacy and business value.
  • By evaluating and developing the leadership and management skills of Alex and Barb (the children who are active in the business) and non-family key employees, the risk of failure was minimized and family stress reduced.
  • Sharon and Tom were able to transfer the business to Alex and Barb for the “lowest defensible value”, assuring that taxes would be minimized.
  • The process insured that Charlie (who was not active in the business) would be included through the use of non-business assets.
 
Case Study: “Where has the Fire Gone?” PDF Print E-mail

Situation and Objectives:

 
  • business-owner-pondering-exitBill is 53 years old, the President and sole shareholder of a testing laboratory with $7 million in sales, with a healthy 25% historic EBIT.
  • Although the business is successful by all financial measures, Bill is bored with the company and tired of running it.
  • He has been restless, looking for other opportunities in and out of the business.
  • He thinks the time has come to sell the company and move on to other interests.

Solution:

  • Bill was transformed back into a happy motivated owner...
  • Bill and his team worked through a collaborative process to develop a clear vision for the company and a process to manage the company strategically. All key people (not just Bill) are now engaged and invested in the future of the company.
  • A new incentive compensation program was created for managers to share the future value, reduce turnover and sharpen their focus on achieving the strategic goals of the company. This includes reducing Bill's day-to-day role.
  • Contingency plans were also put in place to reduce the risk that the value of the business would be diminished upon the death or disability of Bill.
  • Bill is once again enjoying the business, building long-term value and rethinking his retirement.
 


The case studies above, although based on real experiences with our clients, have been modified to protect confidentiality.
© 2009 Venture Exit Partners, LLC
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