I have business partners

Three priorities

Keep the first conversation focused.

• Agree how ownership changes would be handled.
• Check authority and funding for an unexpected event.
• Connect business agreements to each owner’s family plan.

1. 01

   Buy-sell agreements: make the next step clear

   A buy-sell agreement sets rules for an ownership transfer when an agreed event occurs. It can address who may buy, how the price is determined, how payment works and what happens during the transition. The agreement and its funding need to work together. Having a signed document does not, by itself, mean a future purchase will be affordable.

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2. 02

   Business valuation: know what the number means

   A business valuation is an informed opinion of value for a particular ownership interest, purpose and date. It helps turn an uncertain number on your personal balance sheet into a question you can examine. A useful valuation explains the reasoning and assumptions behind the result. It is not a promise that a buyer will pay that amount.

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3. 03

   Owner disability: keep decisions moving

   Owner disability planning asks what would happen if illness or injury limited your ability to work. There are several separate needs: household income, business expenses, operating decisions and a possible ownership transition. A plan connects those needs without assuming a single policy, document or family member can handle them all.

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4. 04

   Estate planning for business owners

   An owner's estate plan needs to explain more than who inherits. It should connect the people who can act, the business interests that may transfer, the cash needed during a transition and the family's expectations. Legal documents, ownership agreements and account records need to tell a compatible story.

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