At UBS, we understand that private business owners and senior executives have a personal connection with their companies that should be accounted for when measuring the true “value” of their business. Our team, Hudson River Partners at UBS Private Wealth Management, understands this connection. When considering how and when to unlock that underlying value, having access to professional advice that weighs both the personal and professional impact to you and your family is critical.
That’s why our team focuses on helping with financial-, estate-planning and wealth-preservation strategies as owners build their businesses. We can help provide monetization strategies for if—and when—a sale is appropriate for your company.
In the event that you choose to monetize your business assets, we look at our role as assisting with the three phases: pre-sale planning, the sale itself and the post-sale strategy
PRE-SALE PLANNING
Considerations during the pre-sale planning phase include family succession, your family’s dynamic and what interest, if any, your children have in your business. We help our clients with the critical pre-sale financial planning and estate-planning strategies. In some monetization strategies it can take five-to-seven years to exit a business, so proper planning should begin early. Our team has the ability through our firm’s access to a vast array of investors, lenders, and a specialized employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) team.
Clients gain a depth of insight on the value of their business that helps them decide if—and when—a sale is appropriate.
HELP WITH THE ACTUAL SALE
Our group believes that for every transaction there is an ideal partner. That partner should combine industry expertise, a successful track record, resources and a desire to pursue each deal with the same level of enthusiasm and commitment you have invested in your business. Often, we help business owners connect with the right professionals to explore multiple monetization possibilities to help decide what will offer the best terms:
- strategic buyer (M&A)
- financial buyer
- full or partial, tax-advantaged ESOP transaction
In some cases and transaction sizes our UBS Investment Bank* can be the ideal partner, while in others your partner may be one of the boutique investment banking partners that are part of UBS’ referral network.
We can also have you consult with one of our UBS ESOP specialists about a possible ESOP sale, meaning a tax-favored leveraged buyout and formal arrangement in which employees gain ownership in the company. An ESOP can be a liquidity alternative to an M&A, recapitalization or IPO and can be structured to help meet your objectives.
In our view, this “three-track” analysis helps owners decide what works best for their sale.
POST SALE: NEXT STEPS
It’s never too early to discuss a personal succession and monetization plan. Through wealth-management planning, we help you strategize around such life-changing liquidity events as post-sale investment management, philanthropy, tax analysis, disability protection and income-replacement strategies. By working with our team in conjunction with UBS’ investment bank* and ESOP professionals, clients gain a depth of insight on the value of their business that helps them decide if—and when—a sale is appropriate.
*At your request, UBS can provide you with direct introductions to boutique investment banks. Please note, however, that UBS is not recommending that you retain one of these firms, we are not affiliated with these firms and are not involved with the advice or recommendation that may be provided to you. You, in consultation with your legal, tax and other non-UBS advisors, will need to conduct due diligence on each firm that you may be interested in and independently determine whether you want to retain the firm. In addition, if you were to retain one of these firms, UBS may receive a fee in connection with the introduction.
Bryan Stephens and Kathleen Entwistle are Financial Advisors with UBS Financial Services Inc., 61 South Paramus Road, Paramus, N.J. 07652 and 299 Park Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10171. UBS Financial Services Inc. financial advisors engage Worth to feature this article. As a firm providing wealth management services to clients, we offer both investment advisory and brokerage services. These services are separate and distinct, differ in material ways and are governed by different laws and separate contracts.
For more information on the distinctions between our brokerage and investment advisory services, please speak with your Financial Advisor or visit our website at ubs.com/workingwithus. The strategies and/or investments referenced may not be suitable for all investors. UBS Financial Service Inc. is a subsidiary of UBS AG. Member FINRA/SIPC. Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the certification marks CFP® and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ in the U.S. CIMA® is a registered certification mark of the Investment Management Consultants Association, Inc. in the United States of America and worldwide.
This article was originally published in the June/July 2016 issue of Worth.
