Successful Business Planning

Your Business Five Step Financial Plan

Step 1: Ownership

Is the future of your business control something you have thought about? Have you considered a strategy to ensure your business remains in the right hands? Should you become ill, injured or die, these are inescapable issues for all involved in small business, and it’s in your interests to tackle succession planning before the need actually arises.

Planning for business ownership if something happens to you or your business partner can achieve positive outcomes including:

  1. having funds available to purchase the shares or the business interest at the time they are required.
  2. develop / train owners, or find a future owner for the business.
  3. ensure the existing business owner(s) receives a fair price for their business interest.

Step 2: Debt protection

As a business owner, you (and your partners if applicable) are liable to an unlimited extent for any loans or debts you have incurred in developing and running your business.

When something happens to you or your business partner, you can expect your creditors to take a greater interest in your business, an interest which may extend to the following:

  • personal guarantees called up
  • foreclosure by creditors and banks
  • restrictions on credit terms
  • reduced ability to service debt

These drastic measures can be avoided. By insuring the business owners against premature death or disablement, all business debts are cleared and the value of the business is ‘solid’, ready for sale.

Step 3: Key person

You, and some of your most senior staff members, are pivotal in the ongoing success of your business. If something happens to one of these key people the future of your business is thrown into jeopardy and the implications can be nasty:

  • loss of revenue
  • inability to service debt or meet expenses
  • decrease in profits
  • loss of major clients
  • sale of business assets
  • business sold for well below true value

When considering the factors that drive profit within your business, it’s important not to overlook the impact key individuals have on a business.

Step 4: Income protection

Your income earning potential is you’re largest asset and it needs protecting.

During a typical working life a person has an 18% chance of suffering a disability lasting six months or more.

If you were unable to work for a extended period of time, what impact would that have on your lifestyle?

How would you cope financially? You would have to cope with recovery from both the physical disability and the financial problems that would bring.

A tailor made income protection plan can solve these issues.

Step 5: Investment

Investment & Succesion Planning

There are many different reasons for investing – depending on your lifestyle objectives and stage of life. However the prime reason is to achieve or maintain financial security.

We are accredited Kiwisaver and investment advisers. We will advise you on your best course of action to ensure you and your staff’s future investment and retirement planning.

Wills, trusts and business succession

Good estate planning covers a range of issues including wills, trusts and business succession.

Brackenridge works closely with other professionals who will assist with legal issues around wills, power of attorney, and the appropriateness of family trusts.

In business, estate planning includes succession or exiting strategies.

Estate planning is a very important consideration in planning for your financial security.