Organizing your wealth management as a business owner 

Owning and operating a business can require some blood, sweat, and maybe a few tears. Take the right steps to ensure your money is working as hard as you are to ensure a successful future.

When you own a business your job doesn’t stop at 5 like most other workers. A major portion of your life is your business, causing you to work hard for success now. It can be easy to only look at what is happening in your day-to-day life, but it’s also important to take the right steps now to provide a healthy financial future for both you and your business. 

1. Pay yourself first – Business owners often want to reinvest their funds back into their business, but that isn’t always the wisest step. Rather than reinvesting all of your earnings back into your business, invest a set amount of your income each month into a retirement plan.  This will protect you in case something were to happen so you don’t lose everything, including your retirement plan.

2. Keep personal and business finances separate – Make it your goal to keep entirely separate finance accounts for your personal life and your professional life. This seems easy, but it can be hard to follow when your entire life is your business. Doing so will give you an accurate picture of how you and your business are both performing individually. Also, it will simplify everything for everyone involved in your finances, including your accountant, lawyer, and financial advisor. 

3. Surround yourself with experts – The most successful people surround themselves with trust advisors, which should be no different for business owners. Build a network of experts that you trust across multiple disciplines. A good place to start includes a lawyer, an accountant, and a financial advisor. It is also wise to find a friend within your own industry, allowing you to learn from their years of experience. 

4. Implement a succession plan – It can be hard to imagine, but the day will come when it’s time for you to hand the torch over to someone else. Some business owners wait until it’s too late and by the time they want to retire they are unable to because they’re still tied down to a business. Prevent that from becoming your fate by talking with potential buyers or developing a plan for someone to step in to take ownership. Creating a succession plan now will make the transition much easier in the future, allowing you and your business to part ways the way you intend too.