2024-05-16 BROADCAST CE - 4 HOURS

8:30 am - 10:30 pm

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                      "The "Next" for Business-Owning Families "Are Families in Business Different?""

T. Ray Phillips, CFBS, ChFC, AEP

Certified Family Business Specialist
Investment Advisor Representative

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(2 hours Indiana Insurance CE approved, 2 hours CFP CE approved, 2 hours CLE CE approved)

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Originally from Oklahoma, T. Ray’s family’s roots in business extend back to 1889. The challenges his family faced not only created an abundance of knowledge to pass on to his clients, but also fueled his passion for working exclusively with families owning businesses.

“My family’s business, Dawson Produce, grew into a tri-state operation; however, sadly similar to too many, the business could not withstand a transition of ownership. With proper succession planning, the operation as a family business could have survived.”

In 1998, he opened a specialty boutique firm now called Family Business Legacies, LLC. He became the first person in Indiana, and is among 500 nationwide, to successfully complete the Certified Family Business Specialist (CFBS) designation offered through the American College in Bryn Mawr, PA. Additionally, he holds the Accredited Estate Planner (AEP) designation from the NAEPC, as well as, the Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) designation and the Graduate Certificate in Business Succession Planning, from the American College.

T. Ray specializes in Business Continuation, Owner Exit Objectives, Leadership Retention, and Total Wealth Transfer Planning for families in business. He operates on the principle that transition and exit planning are akin to the disciplines of law, accounting, and even medicine. His ideal clients are owners in the Manufacturing, Construction, Distribution, Energy, and Agricultural space with revenues of $4m - $50m (his “sweet spot” is $7m-$25m). Most of his owners have over 60% of their wealth IN the business and derive nearly 100% of their lifestyle FROM the business (salary and benefits).

On most weekends, T. Ray and his wife, Tia, can be found watching the Oklahoma Sooners, Chicago Cubs, English Premiere League soccer, and traveling to see his children, Thomas and Audrey, at DePauw University. He also is active in several civic organizations, including the Downtown Indianapolis Kiwanis Club, The Oaks Academy, Broad Ripple Haverford Little League, Indy Phoenix FC, and North Central High School Athletic Boosters.

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Course Description

This course was designed to help Owners and Advisors be significantly more aware of the magnitude of the challenge to Exit Planning. We begin with statistical information about the significant role Family Businesses play in the GDP of the United States. We then delve into the realities of how difficult Exit Planning has been in the past and remains to this day due to common planning missteps. This allows the audience to be more open to the other non-traditional factors that are highly correlated to the Success of an Owner’s Exit (or can derail a plan). Specifically, we examine the Diametrically opposed systems of Families and Businesses. This often helps the audience clearly self-identify the non-financial elements that also need to be addressed in an Exit Plan. We then further discuss the Key Elements that make a business attractive to a buyer and ways to measure what may be deficient and therefore impair the business owner from receiving Fair Market Value for the Enterprise. Lastly, we go through tools often used to help an owner navigate the Exit Planning process and what advisors may find valuable as they establish or enhance their Exit Planning Practice.

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Learning Objectives

1. Awareness and Understanding of Key Issues Owners Face in Exit Planning
    

2. Deeper Perspective of the Influence of Non-Financial Dynamics on Exit Planning, How to Identify them and Assist Owners in Resolving them
    

3. Key Elements making a Family Business Attractive (and unattractive) to Buyers
    

4. Tools and Tactics an Advisor can use to help an Owner Through an Exit and Succession Plan

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