ESOP Builders Inc. - Case Studies

The $10 Trillion Opportunity – Designing Successful Exit Strategies for Middle Market Business Owners: A Guide for Professional Advisors - Canadian Edition.

Designed specifically for financial advisors, accountants, insurance professionals, lawyers and other trusted business advisors, this unique book teaches readers how to use exit planning as a way to generate new business from existing clients and bring highly qualified prospects to your door.

Exit planning is an important topic given that millions of business owners in North America will need exit planning services as the baby boomer generation approaches retirement.

These businesses represent more than a trillion in wealth in Canada. As a result, this book is a must read for all professional advisors interested in helping to ensure the successful transition and management of this wealth.

Exit planning is a comprehensive and integrated approach that helps business owners address all of the personal, business, financial, legal, estate and tax issues involved in exiting a privately held business.

The Canadian edition is written by Perry Phillips, president of ESOP Builders Inc. and author of Employee Share Ownership Plans, and Richard E. Jackim, co-author of the U.S. edition (entitled The $10 Trillion Opportunity) -- both are experts in the field of exit planning and valuations.

Contributors to this Canadian edition of the book include Globe and Mail columnist and well-known financial planner Tim Cestnick; ESOP Builders Inc. directors Allen Sloan CA, Stan Swartz CA, CFP and marketing specialist Jack Fishman; Bill Russell, certified financial planner and portfolio manager with Cumberland Private Wealth Management Inc.; Gary Brent, one of the founding members of TAL Global Asset Management and now executive-in-residence for the Global Asset and Wealth Management MBA program at Simon Fraser University; and lawyer David E. Clark, who has spent more than 25 years advising business clients in a wide variety of matters, including buying and selling businesses, mergers and acquisitions, and shareholders’ agreements.

Phillips has more than 20 years of experience with issues such as business and ESOP valuations, corporate reorganizations, mergers and acquisitions, and has served as an expert witness in Federal Court proceedings. He is skilled in ESOP design and implementation and designs and implements ESOPs across a range of industries including union and non-union shops. Phillips has developed an ESOP Transformation Model© over the past seven years resulting in employee participation rates of 70% to 98%. International experience: His valuation assignments have included projects in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, New Zealand and China.

Jackim is an attorney and investment banker. A graduate of Cornell Law School, he has been involved in more than sixty mergers or acquisitions of middle market companies in the U.S. After working ten years in investment banking, Jackim co-founded The Christman Group, LLC, a middle market investment banking firm based in Illinois.

This logically structured book takes a no-nonsense approach to exploring and addressing a topic that is often misunderstood and at times overwhelming for business owners and their advisors alike - the topic of developing a comprehensive, integrated exit plan for business owners. The book includes case studies, a glossary, resource guide, bibliography, and a detailed index.

The $10 Trillion Opportunity – Designing Successful Exit Strategies for Middle Market Business Owners: A Guide for Professional Advisors, offers insight into these key “how-to” points:

What Others Are Saying About "The $10 Trillion Opportunity - Canadian Edition"

"Perry and Richard do an excellent job of articulating why succession planning for owners of private businesses is such a daunting and high risk endeavour, even when the business owners are motivated and supported by competent and highly skilled advisors. Based on many years of personal experience advising private business owners on succession matters and applying a similar methodology, I can attest to the effectiveness of the analytical framework and consulting process presented in this book. This is a must read for all private business owners and their advisors, whether they want to lead the process or not. Well done!"

Randy McLachlan
Managing Director
The WaterStreet Group Inc

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"Great book! The major hurdle for SME owners is planning for succession. The transition of their life's enterprise to the next generation, be it family, existing management or a sale to a third party is a significant emotional and even traumatic experience to address. Many fail to confront the issues involved both psychologically and financially thereby failing to adequately plan an orderly transition and in doing so imperil the sustainability of their business. Since both succession and retirement are interrelated these issues are new and hot topics in professional financial planning and advisory circles today. But through careful planning the implementation of Personal Retirement Plan can be an important first step in addressing these issues."

Gilles Marceau CLU, CFP, RFP, P.R.P.

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"To many entrepreneurs the thought of exit or succession represents an enormous complexity of personal and technical issues which almost guarantees inaction on their part. Many of the advisors to those same entrepreneurs, trapped in a narrow discipline or piece of the Exit process, concurrently find that they are unable to move their client's agenda and their own potential to higher ground. This book, comprehensive in every aspect of the Exit process, will provide the information and insight that professionals need to enable a broader "holistic" approach to the Exit process. By so doing, clients will be better served and the advisor's practice and reputation will undoubtedly grow. Indeed this book should be of great interest to business owners themselves, helping to define the very skills and approach that they will be inevitably be looking for."

Don McLauchlin
Vice President, Client Development
Roynat Capital

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"After reading "The $10 Trillion Opportunity", I can enthusiastically state that this book is the premier guide as to how an entrepreneur can successfully exit their business as a winner."

David H. Mollins B.A. CMA
President
Coldwell Banker Business Brokers

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"Middle market business owners seeking to maximize the value of their company and minimize ownership transition issues should select advisors who follow this approach to exit planning."

Natalie Townsend
Managing Partner
NorthRock Capital

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"As an academic at heart, who years ago evolved into an entrepreneur, there are few business books I cherish as being relevant, comprehensive, timeless and useable in everyday life for me. The "$10 Trillion Opportunity-Canadian Edition" has earned a spot in my library right next to "Accounting Principles: A Canadian Viewpoint" by Ross Skinner, "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu, and "FYI For Your Improvement" by Lominger & Associates. The pages of my copy will definitely become worn and dog-eared as a reference book for what I do as a professional advisor to entrepreneurs in all things financial."

Donald M. Cameron, CA
Managing Director
InHouseCFO Inc.