Financial planning for business owners.

Owners tend to make financial decisions in the order the business demands them: payroll, equipment, a lease, a hire, a distribution. Personal planning often waits until there is time. The problem is that the business and the household compete for the same cash, the same risk, and the same attention.

Our work is to make that relationship explicit. We build a plan that covers the owner as a person and the business as an asset, then coordinate the specialists — CPA, attorney, plan administrator, and transaction advisors — whose work the plan depends on.

Where business and personal finances meet

• Owner compensation. Salary, distributions, and benefits balanced against personal cash flow and retirement savings.
• Business cash flow. A reserve policy, distribution discipline, and a clear line between operating capital and personal money.
• Retirement plans. Plan design and contributions coordinated with the personal retirement plan.
• Tax elections and entity structure. Framing the decision so your CPA can evaluate it with the full picture.
• Risk and insurance. Key-person, disability, liability, and buy-sell considerations.
• Exit and liquidity. What the business is worth after taxes and expenses, and how proceeds fit the rest of your wealth.

Planning through the stages of ownership

Early stage. Keep personal fixed costs low, build a cash reserve, and avoid letting the business absorb every dollar of personal savings. Retirement contributions may be modest, but the habit and account structure still matter.

Growing and profitable. This is usually where plan design, tax coordination, and owner compensation decisions have the most leverage. It is also where concentration risk begins to build if most of the net worth sits inside the company.

Pre-exit. Clean financials, documented processes, and a realistic view of after-tax proceeds matter more than a headline valuation. Personal planning should start before the sale, not after.

Post-exit. Liquidity changes the question from “how do I grow the business?” to “how do I replace the income and purpose?” That transition deserves its own plan.

Retirement plans for business owners

The right plan depends on the number of employees, cash flow, owner compensation, and how much you want to contribute. A Solo 401(k) can fit an owner-only business; a 401(k), 403(b), SEP, SIMPLE, or cash balance plan may fit a larger payroll. We model how contributions affect personal cash flow and retirement projections, and we coordinate plan design with your CPA and third-party administrator.

For owners weighing an S-corp election, start with LLC vs. S-Corp: Understanding the Tax Election. The decision is fact-specific, and your CPA should prepare the analysis and filing.

Exit planning and the years after

An exit is a liquidity event, a tax event, and a life event. We help owners understand what they will actually keep, how much of the proceeds they need for their plan, and how to diversify without disrupting the business before closing. We do not provide valuation opinions or legal advice; those come from your transaction professionals. Our job is to make sure the personal plan is ready for the outcome.

Fractional CFO support

Some owners need executive-level financial discipline before they can justify a full-time CFO. We provide forecasting, KPI dashboards, cash management, and capital planning at a scope that fits the business today. That work also feeds the personal plan, because the owner’s compensation and liquidity decisions depend on the same numbers.