Financial Clarity for the Long Haul

KENNESAW, Ga. | Aug 5, 2025

A Steady Approach to Lasting Success

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What Are Some Advanced Financial Moves Every Profitable Family Business Should Consider?

When your family business begins generating significant profit, it鈥檚 time to think beyond reactive planning. Advanced financial strategies can help you preserve wealth across generations, protect what you鈥檝e built, and prepare your family for a strong future.

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Here's a strategic roadmap to consider:

  1. Maximize Tax Efficiency. Advanced retirement plans鈥攍ike cash balance pension plans鈥攁llow six-figure pre-tax contributions. These tools reduce taxes while helping business owners rapidly build personal wealth outside the company.
  2. Protect the Business. Key person insurance and well-structured buy-sell agreements can ensure continuity if something happens to a founder or partner. Done right, they provide liquidity and clarity during times of transition or crisis.
  3. Build a Family-Focused Estate Plan. Families nearing estate tax thresholds should explore strategies like Spousal Lifetime Access Trusts (SLATs), Intentionally Defective Grantor Trusts (IDGTs), and gifting plans. These tools help transfer future growth to heirs while preserving family control.
  4. Plan Ownership Transitions Early. Whether you envision passing the business to the next generation, key employees, or a third-party buyer, early planning allows you to shape voting rights, cash flow, and legacy on your terms.
  5. Coordinate a Trusted Team. Your CPA, attorney, financial advisor, and valuation expert should work in sync. Advanced strategies only succeed when your team collaborates with the full picture in mind.

If your family business is thriving, the next chapter begins with strategic planning. Start now鈥攕o your success becomes a legacy that lasts.

ROOTS | INSIGHTS FOR GROWING FAMILY BUSINESSES

Foundations First: Financial Habits That Help You Grow

When you鈥檙e running a family business, every financial decision carries more weight. You're not just building for the next quarter鈥攜ou鈥檙e building for the next generation. Whether you're just getting established or entering a season of growth, taking time to strengthen your financial foundation can create stability and confidence for years to come.

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Here are a few key areas to focus on:

  •  It sounds simple, but many family businesses blur the lines. Clear boundaries create transparency, reduce stress, and protect your long-term goals.
  •  Understanding your cash flow, profit margins, and break-even point gives you the power to make decisions with clarity and intention.
  •  A solid reserve fund and a plan for downturns (or unexpected opportunities) can be the difference between surviving and thriving.
  •  Whether it鈥檚 for you or the next generation, building financial literacy within your family is one of the smartest moves you can make. Family Enterprise Center members receive 10% off courses through KSU's Community & Professional Education department.
  • Work with people who understand family business. Advisors, accountants, and lenders who understand the dynamics of family enterprises can help you align financial strategy with family values.

Building financial strength doesn鈥檛 happen overnight鈥攂ut every intentional step you take makes your business more resilient. And just like the roots of a tree, what鈥檚 happening beneath the surface matters most in the long run.

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LEGACIES | INSIGHTS FOR ESTABLISHED FAMILY BUSINESSES

Branching Out: How Established Family Businesses Can Grow Revenue and Legacy

Once your family enterprise has strong financial roots, it鈥檚 natural to ask: What comes next? Perhaps it's prime time to explore strategic new ventures like offering emerging leaders the opportunity to grow revenues and build financial legacies, all while keeping your core business firmly grounded.

One powerful model is the 鈥渟tart-up within鈥濃攁 mini-venture funded and supported by the family business. A great example is , a sixth-generation UK family company. After pitching successfully to the family board, Sam Stannah launched Uplift, a home-lift product designed for a younger demographic. Fueled entirely by internal investment, it now brings in double-digit monthly order growth, employs 85 staff, and is expanding into North America鈥攁ll without disrupting the core stairlift business.

a photo of Sam and Jon Stannah

Here鈥檚 how this approach can build financial strength for future generations:

  • Allocate strategic seed capital. Set aside a portion of your earnings or reserves to fund internal ventures that align with your long-term vision.
  • Empower emerging leaders. Give them autonomy with defined budgets and clear financial KPIs, helping them own growth responsibly.
  • Monitor financial performance closely. Establish revenue targets, margin expectations, and profitability timelines, just like an independent start-up.
  • Leverage existing infrastructure. Tap into your supply chain, brand equity, and distribution channels to reduce costs and drive early returns.

By supporting innovation in this way, your family business doesn鈥檛 just maintain stability鈥攊t creates new revenue streams and prepares upcoming generations for leadership. As these ventures mature, they contribute financially and shape a diversified, future-ready enterprise.

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