Exit planning for your small business isn’t like a light switch – there is no simple on/off switch when it comes to control or ownership. It took time to build the business the right way and so it will also take proper time and planning to leave it on your own terms. Fortunately, you can structure your exit in such a way that you can lay the foundations to flip the switch in the future while retaining management control today. So, how do you structure the business so that you can start succession while still sitting on the throne? A recent Forbes article titled “How To Retain Control, Even As You Exit” provides some practical advice. At the most basic level, you may want to adjust the structure of the business itself. Is it an LLC? If yes, then retain control by making it a “manager-managed” LLC and retain the management position. Is it a corporation? If yes, then there are more options. For instance, you could issue various types of stock, either in different classes (voting vs. non-voting), or even offer restricted stock that becomes vested only upon certain conditions. The corporate structure also offers other powerful tools like Employee Stock Ownership Purchase (ESOP) arrangements. Your approach and the timing of your exit will depend on other factors, not the least of which hinges on your successors. When will they be ready to assume more control? Even more important, when will you be ready to begin relinquishing control? More often than not, you can structure an exit so both control and financial gain slowly adjust to everyone’s benefit, but you have to start with a plan.
Reference: Forbes (April
10, 2013) “How To Retain Control, Even As You Exit”
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