Defusing the Family Business…Time Bomb

This is an annual favorite book, especially at year end tax planning time, by Jenifer Bartman and Evelyn Jacks from publisher Knowledge Bureau. It addresses a common family secret that plagues millions of Canadians from coast to coast: what to do with the family business at a time when boomers are contemplating retirement.  Will the business sell for the millions owners hope for, blow up, or just wind down?   Will family relationships survive it all?

The answer lies in the family’s ability to embrace change and work with purpose to build and transition a company that is scalable and has value beyond the original owner. But at the same time, it is important to focus on the family relationships that will either suffer, or thrive along the way.  The reason? Even the most promising and profitable company could perish when the investment in the family business is marred by family conflict. Worse, this is not the only factor at play. While it is normal for a typical family business to be inundated with challenge and change, seldom have so many potential threats been evident at the same time:

• Demographic factors: aging Baby Boomer owners have a limited number of potential successors.
• Disruption of key industries: new and complex business models, and rapid digital/technological advancement, could reduce expected valuations and make transition to new owners either irrelevant or much more costly.
• Dramatic change in the global economy: this makes strategic planning difficult, increases competition, and could escalate the cost of doing business, thereby shrinking profit margins.
• Uncertain tax rules: complex new tax changes, restrictions to family income sprinkling, a new clawback of the small business deduction, and increased capital gains inclusion rates all impact profitability, investment opportunities, and access to capital. This challenge could be especially difficult for successors who want to scale up the business for the future.
• Typical family business problems: conflict, apathy, sudden or emerging illness, or control issues can affect relationships, decision-making and, ultimately, the health of both the family and company.

Bonus:  A Special Report on Capital Gains Tax Changes with Every Purchase. Just email learn@knowledgebureau.com for your electronic copy.  You will appreciate this book for its contemporary and practical advice. It brings a common-sense approach to the challenges associated with building a company that has the potential to be sold to someone else in the future.

Defusing the Family Business Time Bomb is written by two experienced authors and business leaders who have helped the owners, executives, investors, and professional advisors with whom they work to prepare for the most explosive challenge in a generation: the retirement of the Baby Boomers and transition of their companies to a new guard, who face pitfalls and opportunities of their own.

Jenifer Bartman, CPA, CA, CMC, MFA, FDFS™ is the Founder and Principal of Jenifer Bartman Business Advisory Services, assisting companies in transition (early, financing, growth, and succession stages) with growth strategies, financing readiness, strategic/business planning, and executive coaching. Jenifer is well known for her venture capital and early stage financing expertise, having been an executive in the industry and an advisor to many young companies. She appears on the CBC News Network Weekend Business Panel. She tweets @JeniferInc.

Evelyn Jacks, DMA, MFA, RWM, FDFS™ one of Canada’s most prolific financial authors, having penned over 50 books on personal tax and family wealth management, many of them bestsellers. A well-known tax and financial commentator, she has twice been named one of Canada’s Top 25 Women of Influence. Evelyn is also President of Knowledge Bureau, a national educational institute focused on professional development of tax and financial advisors. Follow her on twitter @evelynjacks, and in Knowledge Bureau Report.

Copies may be reserved now online, or by calling 1.866.953.4769.

Personal Finance      ISBN 978-1-77297-065-4     CDN $29.95      6x9     184 pages 

For media interviews please contact: evelyn.jacks@knowledgebureau.com

TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION - BOOK CLUB AND MEDIA

From a Tax Point of View:

1. Why is this book especially timely?
2. What changes are we seeing in our economy that affects employed and self-employed people?
3. Are there pros and cons to freelancing from an income and wealth management viewpoint?
4. Do incorporated taxpayers fair better than self-employed proprietors over the long run?
5. Why has Finance Canada introduced such controversial tax reforms recently?
6. What are the key reforms and how do they affect small and medium sized business owners?
7. This all comes at a time when personal taxes have increased – what are some of those changes?

From a Transition Planning Point of View:

1. What should governments, business owner and employees do to protect income and wealth against this backdrop of tax increases and economic change?
2. What are some mistakes that business leaders make when considering succession of their company?
3. If keeping the business in the family isn’t feasible, what options could a business leader consider?
4. What are some common misconceptions about selling a company?
5. What are steps that business leaders can take to improve the transition prospects for their company?