Business Solutions

If you own a business, you know the meaning of hard work and what satisfaction truly feels like. If you also have the responsibility of supporting a family, you know what it's like to occasionally accomplish the impossible.

Here is some information courtesy of Ametrine Financial & Insurance Services to help you prepare for our meeting and get you thinking about possible solutions to your needs.

Helping Your Business Grow

Owning a business is among the most common paths to financial independence — but no one ever said it would be easy.

Running a successful business requires you to study, ask questions of experts in your industry, and seek the counsel of qualified tax, legal, and financial advisors. Ask me about John Hancock's insurance and financial products that can help you support your business growth plan.

Here are some of the topics that we may discuss:

Business exit planning

Business exit planning is the deliberate, adaptable, and customized process that a business owner uses so that he/she can leave his/her business on his/her terms and schedule.

Business Succession Planning

A succession plan is put in place to ensure the survival of the business if something happens to one of its key employees or owners. The plan can take several forms, from a simple key person insurance plan to a more complex buy-sell arrangement.

What is a Buy-Sell arrangement?

A buy-sell arrangement is an arrangement for the sale of the business interest upon a triggering event   such as the owner's death, disability  or retirement. A well-drafted and properly funded buy-sell arrangement can protect the interest of the business owners and help facilitate the continuation of the business.

Planning for Your Business's Future

If you weren't around to run your business, what would happen to it and the income it provides your family? Would a successor be ready to take over? What will happen when you eventually retire? Are your family members planning to step in and continue what you've started? Do you expect to continue receiving an income from your business after you stop working? People often allow the day-to-day demands of running a business to prevent them from answering these important questions until it is too late. Don't let it happen to you.

Retirement and Estate Conservation Products and Services

Of course, you may feel as if  you never want to retire from your business. You put your life into building it, and now it has become your lifeblood. But maybe someday you'll want to slow down, take it easy. Wouldn't it be nice to have that option?

On the other hand, your health might someday prevent you from working as hard as you'd like. Or perhaps forces outside your control could alter the market for your products or services. In short, you may not have complete control over when you decide to leave your business.

It's important to plan for the unexpected. Using the appropriate retirement planning and estate conservation products and services can help you create options, so that you, your family, and your business are prepared for an array of outcomes. Today's business owners and self-employed individuals have a wide range of choices to help them protect their loved ones, take more control over the future of their business, and manage the risks of daily living and the unexpected. I can help you create a plan that addresses your concerns and your desires.

When we meet, we will talk about which one of the following plans will be best for you:

1. Traditional 401(k)
   
2. Owner - Only 401(k)
   
3. Simple IRA
   
4. SEP IRA
   
5. Profit Sharing plan
   

Life Insurance for Risk Management

The nature of business is living with risk — the risks of expanding on borrowed money, launching products and services, extending credit, and hiring workers. But the successful business owner knows that opportunity lives on the same street as risk. Those who do their best to minimize risk have more time to focus on the pursuit of opportunity.

One way to manage risk is with life insurance. You most likely have purchased insurance to help protect your capital investments against fire, theft, or other risks. But have you taken steps to protect against the loss of key employees? Or protected your family against the risk of a loan default if something happened to you? Life insurance can help reduce the financial risks to your business and your family if you or other key players die before completing long-term plans.

• Offering a Competitive Benefits Package
  
  Regardless of how high or low the unemployment rate is, it's always difficult and expensive to replace a quality employee. Once you've found the best people, keeping them interested in your company and motivated to perform at peak levels is a big challenge.
  
  A competitive benefits package is a must-have in today's labor market. If you are thinking that benefits are an expense you can't afford, consider these reasons for offering them:
•   Carefully selected benefits can cut your turnover rate and the related cost of hiring and training replacements.
•  Benefits can help boost company morale and improve productivity and can be more affordable than you expect. Some can be offered at virtually no cost to you.
  
  Allow me to help you analyze your needs. You may be surprised at how easy it is to add the types of protection and planning appropriate to your business without spending a fortune.

For more information, with no obligation, please call Ametrine Financial & Insurance Services at (800) 560-1988 or ametrine@ametrinefinancial.com