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My neighbor asked me, “Why would anyone sell a successful company?”. He could not understand why anyone would leave a business that was doing well. Of course successful companies get sold all the time.

So why do these business owners sell? The short answer is that most closely held businesses sell for human reasons, such as burn out, retirement, illness, partnership disputes, family issues or other personal reasons. Usually the business is fine but the human being running the business needs a change. To understand this better it is key to understand the other options for exiting a business.

Close the Business/Liquidation

Closing a business that is profitable never makes sense. Even if the assets are liquidated the price is likely to be pennies on the dollar versus selling the business as a going concern with employees, customers and a reputation that is intact. Not only does the business owner get the lowest value but the employees, vendors and customers are hurt by this type of exit.

Accident, Illness or Death

No one wants to exit their business this way, but many do. The loss of an owner not only creates tremendous issues for the family but also creates a leadership void in the business. Even the most competent management can struggle when a key business leader is lost to a serious accident, illness or death. No one plans for this type of exit but many end up exiting the business this way because they failed to create an alternate plan.

Succession

Succession by a family member or key employee has its benefits. They know the business, its product or service, employees, customers and vendors. Succession can be operationally successful for the exiting owner if they make sure the successor is carefully selected, qualified and groomed for the position. The owner must be careful not to make an emotional choice of a relative or favorite employee but instead choose the successor with the right skills to lead the company into the future. You are not seeking an “Employee” mentality but an “Owner” mentality. If that rare person can be found in the business who can make the transition to Owner, they often do not have the cash needed to purchase the business. They are also likely to want to pay less for the business as familiarity will blind them to many of the value drivers of the company. So although succession can be operationally successful it is rarely a financial success for the outgoing owner.

Sell

Closing or liquidating the business minimizes the value to the owner. Accident, illness or death forces the issue on the owner. Succession provided a very limited pool of options with limited financial reward.

Selling on the other hand allows the business owner to decide their ideal timing, maximize the value of the business they worked so hard to build, coordinate the use of the sale proceeds for financial planning and align their personal goals with the sale of a business. Selling the business allows the business owner to create a wealth event and often significant on-going passive income without having to run their business.

Whatever they are, human reasons are always pushing and pulling on a business owner. Burn out, stress, divorce, illness, partner disputes and limited growth capital are some of the human reasons that push owners out of the business. Retirement, enjoying life, relocating, a new business opportunity and passive income are some of the reasons that pull a business owner out. Whatever the motivation, the fundamental reason a business owner chooses a sale as their ideal exit plan is control. The business owner chooses to understand the value of their business and to proactively pursue the right buyer and the right price. By selling a business you choose to exit your business by choice, not by force.

The professional team at Sunbelt Midwest can help you confidentially sell or buy a business in Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Chicago, and surrounding areas. For more information check out our site at http://www.sunbeltmidwest.com.

A Life Insurance Policy is a personal property, like a house, car, antiques, old painting or stocks and bonds. You can sell your life insurance policy like you sell your other personal property items. Life insurance may now be viewed as a traditional asset that can be purchased or sold. Sale of Life insurance policy is called as Life insurance settlement, Life settlement or Senior settlement.

Millions of seniors are unaware of the flexible and liquefiable insurance policy, they can sell for cash. The flexibility of a Senior settlement or Life settlement permits policy owners to sell all or a portion of their life insurance policies.

When the life insurance policy owner sells own life insurance policy, he or she transfers all rights and obligations to a new owner. The purchaser of the policy will then become the new owner and the new beneficiary of the policy and is then responsible for making all of the future premium payments. The new owner now collects the full amount of the death benefit when the insured dies.

Life insurance settlements present a unique opportunity to the policy holder to extract the maximum possible value from an existing life insurance policy and repurpose those funds for whatever financial needs may exist. Many people choose this option because the cash value of a life settlement generally exceeds the surrender value that would have been paid by the life insurance policy.

Policies are sold for many different personal or business reasons. Below are some of possible reasons for considering a Life Insurance Settlement:

Personal:

1. The original purpose or need for the policy has changed or has diminished totally.

2. The Beneficiary of the policy is deceased.

3. Policy holder is chronically ill, selling current policy provides needed funds to cover financial burdens caused by illness. A Viatical settlement gives the ability to regain needed financial security.

4. Policy has not met the original illustrated values and premiums need to be increased to keep policy in force.

5. If policy holder is over the age of sixty-five, a Life settlement or Senior settlement maximizes the current assets by eliminating premiums and getting required funds that can be used today.

6. Insured person wishes to distribute the funds/ liquid assets as per his or her desire while living.

7. To make funds available for other investments like real-estate, stocks, bonds or to start a new business.

8. Divorce settlement has altered the need for life insurance.

9. Personal financial situation has gone bad and making premium payments is unaffordable.

10. Sale proceeds from Life settlements are needed to pay down loans or outstanding debt.

11. The policy owners current asset mix is weighed too heavily in life insurance.

12. A client wishes to invest in a more appropriate product, such as a lower cost survivor policy, single premium annuity for supplemental income, long term care insurance, long term care insurance or other asset protection tools.

13. A family trust has eliminated the need for personal life coverage.

14. Policy holder need to fund an alternative healthcare that present insurance does not cover.

15. Insured person has left an employer, so he or she needs to sell old group policy.

16. Policy was purchased to ensure the availability of funds to pay off a mortgage and the mortgage has been paid.

17. To take a long awaited vacation or to buy a luxury item that was never affordable.

18. When a policy is in danger of getting lapsed the policy holder can turn it into cash.

19. You can use life settlements to donate to your favorite charity or cause and feel much better about yourself knowing that you have done your part to make the world a brighter place.

Business:

1. Business owned policies those are performing below expectations.

2. Key person insurance policy is no longer required due to retirement or change in business structure.

3. A policy purchased to finance a buy/ sell agreement is no longer needed after the business has been sold.

4. Bankruptcy of business has caused liquidation of assets.

5. Deferred compensation programs in business have changed or not required.

6. If you are a corporation, selling corporate owned life insurance lets you regain back premiums paid on no longer needed policies.

Estate Planning:

1. A single life insurance policy is no longer appropriate- a survivorship policy meets the estate planning requirement and 1035 exchange is avoided.

2. If you are managing an estate, selling your current life insurance policy will help manage changes in estate size, eliminate premiums, and liquidate policies that are no longer needed.

3. A policy needs to be removed from an estate. The three year rule can be avoided by using the life settlement sales proceeds to repurchase a new policy out side the estate.

4. There is a significant reduction in size of estate due to loss of net worth and less insurance coverage is needed to fund the projected estate tax liability.

Charitable Organizations:

1. If charities can no more continue to pay premiums on gifted policies.

2. Proceeds of a Life insurance settlement could result in a larger gift to the charity organization than the policy itself.

Non-Profit Organizations:

1. If you are a non profit organization, selling a gifted life insurance policy provides funds that can be used now and also eliminates premiums.

Once a policy owner has absolutely determined that it no longer makes sense to continue holding a policy, Life insurance settlement or Life settlement may be economically advantageous relative to surrendering or letting the policy lapsed.

This innovative wealth and estate planning tool removes the burden of expensive insurance premium payments in addition to providing the lump sum cash settlement. This allows policy holders to get cash out of their life insurance policy, in an amount in excess of the cash value of policy(if any), while they are still alive. To get the highest life settlements is to improve the quality of life during your retirement years.

Starting a business and making it successful encompasses a great deal of work, but sometimes it gets overwhelming and you feel that selling it is the best option for you. While the current business market is shaky with the global recession affecting everything, you still have a good opportunity to sell your business. Even if you decide to wait until the economy is in a better state, you can be preparing your business for sale. Here are some things to consider while preparing to sell your business.

1.    If you have any problems within your business whatsoever try to get them resolved as soon as you can. Talk to any business partners about major decisions concerning the business and its sale, and make sure that a buy and sell agreement is in place before any sale is finalised to ensure a smooth transition.

2.    Work on getting all of your financial documents up to date and as accurate as possible. This is a great way to impress the buyer of the businesses acumen, and it will help convince them that the business is worth the price you are asking for it. It’s best to be up front and honest about all aspects of your business as well. Even if there is something negative in the businesses history, not revealing it could lose the sale.

3.    Be prepared to help finance the sale of your business, because the current economic conditions could keep the buyer from getting funding put into place. You can also start looking for a reliable business broker to help you in your search for buyers. They will be able to qualify the buyers for you based on their financial credibility and their ability to successfully run a business.

4.    Discuss with the business broker the price you should be asking for your business. They have all of the expertise needed to help you determine a price for your business that is based on the current economic conditions, how the marketplace is moving, and how a realistic price will help you sell your business instead of leaving you out in the cold because your price is simply too high.

5.    Stay in constant communication with your business broker throughout the preparation of the business for the sale all the way through to the finalisation of the sale itself. They know where to list your business for sale, who to contact and speak to during inquiries about the sale and ways to get the transaction completed in a reasonable amount of time.  They will act as your representative for the buyer and they can assess the offers that come into their office. They can also help you structure the final sales transaction, and by working with them consistently you can build a trusting relationship that will benefit your business.

While waiting for the business to sell it is advisable to keep the business running as efficiently and profitably as possible, letting the business broker hand the sale for you. They are working on your behalf and by allowing them to handle all of the sales aspects for you; you can concentrate on making sure the business remains running at peak efficiency.