1. View Succession Planning As An Investment Strategy And Address Family Differences And Controversies Before A Liquidity Event
(Matching tags: investment strategies,Advisor businesses,business owners)

Small business growth is a key component in growth of US GDP. If you’re not advising on the family business directly, then you’re advising on your client’s share of the profits. This ...

2. Preparing For Transition: Management Succession Planning
(Matching tags: business cycles,business owners,business planning,business strategy,management,retirement,retirement planning,succession planning)

In an entrepreneurial business, it is common for the primary owner to be the driving force of the company. The owner has cemented close ties with key customers and suppliers, is responsible for the “creative” ...

3. A 'Top Ten List' For Succession Helps Advisors Gain Clients By Example
(Matching tags: Advisor businesses,marketing,niches,business owners,business planning)

  Succession is a delicate topic. People don’t like to talk about their own mortality. Family clients with businesses may doubt the next generation’s capabilities. Yet, leaving succession ...

4. For Advisors, Business Success Requires Recognizing An Opportunity, Seizing The Moment, And Taking A Risk; An Introduction Of Lisa Gray To A4A Readers
(Matching tags: leadership,Wealth Management,RIAs,managing,family offices,practice management,business owners,advisor industry people)

At dinner last night here at the FPA Business Solutions in San Francisco, an advisor who manages a successful practice told a story about how he came to buy his practice from its former owner. It’s ...

5. Preparing For Transition: Business Financial Planning
(Matching tags: exit planning,financial planning,business owners,business planning)

In preparation for a transition, it's important for the closely held business owner to consider entity structure and how to build value in the company.   The key issue in transition planning ...

6. Advising Business Owners On Succession
(Matching tags: estate planning,client education,financial planning,business owners,business planning)

 Are your clients prepared for transition? The primary points to consider include: financial independence, estate planning, a business plan to build value, management succession, and ownership transition ...

7. Monitored An Employee Phone Call With An Advisor This Morning And Felt Compelled To Interrupt: VOIP For RIA Owners And OSJs
(Matching tags: leadership,client satisfaction,VOIP,phones,managing,client communications,business owners)

My company’s VOIP phone system gives me the ability to monitor employee calls without their knowledge. I was monitoring a sales call with a financial advisor this morning, when I felt compelled to ...

8. Is Norton's New Ultimate Help Desk A Deal For Small Businesses? I Say It Is
(Matching tags: disaster recovery,advisor technology,profitability,practice management,productivity,business owners)

Virus infections, network connections, PC tuneups, connecting a printer or a scanner, and general consultative help are available for up to five computers for $1,200 a year from Symantec, and on up to ...

9. Losing Steve Jobs: There’s A Lesson Here For Advisors
(Matching tags: apple,practice management,Offbeat,business owners,business planning)

If Steve Jobs is losing his battle with cancer, then we should all let him know now how much we appreciate him.

10. The Way Wealth Management Firms Talk About Themselves Is Really Important
(Matching tags: enterprise value,business owners,business planning)

... has customers? I believe investment advisory firms should aspire to to have "customers" in their businesses. Individual practitioners have clients. If an investment advisory firm aspires ...

11. Why You Want To Be In Your Own Business
(Matching tags: life planning,business owners,business planning)

This week many of us were probably asking why we decided to start businesses in this industry.  This may have lead you to want to know if being in your own business was such a good idea. On ...

12. Advising The Business Owner
(Matching tags: asset management,diversification,client communications,business owners,investor behavior,advisor industry people)

The business owner, as a general rule, has a significant amount of his or her net worth tied up in the business. As a closely held business, this investment is not diversified and is high risk. Thus, the ...

13. Small Business Owners Are Slightly More Optimistic, But Remain Worried About Weak Sales
(Matching tags: business owners,U.S. economy)

The Index of Small Business Optimism recorded a small gain in February as small-business owners signaled plans to increase hiring in the coming months.  ...

14. Manage Staff At Your Firm By Assigning Employees Goals And TrackingTheir Progress Using These Four Applications Simple, Inexpensive Apps
(Matching tags: managing,productivity,business owners,business planning)

The four apps range in price from $5 a month to $30 and they are dead simple. But they allow you to organize your thoughts and manage employees toward achieving business  goals.  ...

15. 4 Things Advisors Should Be Knowledgeable On To Work With Private Business Owners
(Matching tags: esop,captive insurance,retirement plans,medical insurance,business owners)

We all have specialties where we make money with our business owner clients. I find that when one works with private business owners it’s helpful to have a broad knowledge on many subjects. If ...

16. Taking Care of Business Taxes: Reviews Of Tax Preparation Software
(Matching tags: business owners)

To prepare tax returns for small business owners, you have more options than ever. Here's are reviews of three of top programs.  ...

17. Small Business Owners Are Optimistic Again, And Probably Willing To Get Off The Market Sidelines
(Matching tags: prospecting,business owners)

If entrepreneurs are as optimistic again about the economy as the latest numbers indicate, it is probably time to start prospecting aggressively to the business community -- and suggesting to existing ...