An American College survey of business owners found that 60 percent of respondents have not met with a financial advisor, and few had developed contingency plans for future events that could affect their businesses. A financial advisor has the expertise and experience to help you maximize the effectiveness of your capital investment in your business, and meeting with one can be quite beneficial.
While it’s a good idea to use a financial advisor from the beginning, you might have put it off. Here are five ways to tell that now is the time to see a business financial advisor:
Cash flow problem:
A financial advisor can help when you suddenly find your business facing an unexpected cash crunch. The advisor will help you work out your options for plugging the cash gap in the short run and preventing it in the future. One alternative is to acquire a working capital loan, such as the ones we provide at IOU Financial. Short-term loans provide the liquidity you need to continue operations, and the cost is quite modest compared to the consequences of not paying your bills on time.
Buildup of owner’s equity:
Good news can also trigger the need for a business advisor. One happy scenario is that your business is doing better than expected and your owner’s equity account is growing must larger than anticipated. You’ll want to speak to an advisor to see how to put that extra cash to work in a tax-friendly way. Sure, you could simply withdraw it, but that will create a personal tax liability. An advisor can help you look at different alternatives to grow your business, such as extending your geographical reach or expanding/enriching your product mix. You might want to hire additional employees or move to a better location – these alternatives require careful planning that a business advisor can provide.
Sudden opportunity:
Sometimes, opportunity knocks and you’re not quite ready. For example, a key competitor might approach you with an offer to let you buy it out. Or a sudden deal becomes available that would let you significantly increase your inventory at a highly-discounted cost. A financial advisor can help you work out how to take advantage of the opportunity in the most efficient way. Once again, a short-term loan might be the answer. IOU Financial can lend you up to $300,000 to grow your business at an affordable cost. Opportunities don’t come along that often. Be prepared to seize them, and to do so in the most efficient manner.
Thinking about retirement:
A business financial advisor should be brought in well before your retirement date to help work out how to sell the business and how to best use the proceeds of the sale. For example, it would be nice to minimize the tax impact of a big payout. A financial advisor can show you alternatives like trusts, charitable contributions and tax-sheltered accounts. It might require you to restructure your company before you sell it in order to reap the best after-tax benefit from its sale.
You’re feeling overwhelmed:
Maybe you know your business more than you understand finance. As your company grows, you might find yourself paralyzed by financial ignorance. Hire a business financial advisor to break the logjam and get you moving in a positive direction. Don’t mismanage your success. Don’t be afraid to get help before your sweet business turns sour.
