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Business Transition Plan Process
The Business Transition Plan: A Roadmap for Private Company Owners
Business transitions don’t happen by accident—they happen by design. At SSG Companies, we help business owners across Louisiana and the surrounding region turn complex exit decisions into actionable plans.
A TRANSITION PLAN BUILT AROUND YOU
Whether you're preparing to retire, transfer ownership to family, or explore a sale in the next 3 to 10 years, we’ll guide you through a proven process to protect what you’ve built and position you for what’s next.
There’s no one-size-fits-all strategy for business succession. That’s why we start with you: your timeline, your goals, and your values. Then we build a step-by-step plan to help you exit on your own terms—with clarity, control, and confidence.
We call it the Business Transition Plan. Here’s how it works.
How It Works
A SIMPLIFIED BREAKDOWN:
Step 1: Define Your Goals & Timeline
We start with a conversation—about what matters most to you and why you’re considering a transition.
Whether your goal is retirement, liquidity, legacy, or a combination of all three, we’ll help you get clear on:
- Your ideal exit timeline
- Family or employee involvement
- Lifestyle and income needs
- Key risks and concerns
- Business continuity and leadership planning
Many owners in Shreveport, Monroe, and across the region tell us they “just want to be fair to everyone” but don’t know what that looks like. That’s where we begin—clarifying your intent before structuring the plan.
Step 2: Assess Business Readiness
Before you make any decisions, you need to understand where you stand.
We help evaluate:
- Current enterprise value
- Financial health and cash flow
- Legal and organizational structure
- Leadership team and talent pipeline
- Market conditions and industry outlook
This gives you a baseline to work from—and often uncovers opportunities to increase value before exiting.
Step 3: Explore Your Exit Options
You may already have a path in mind. Or you may not know what’s possible.
Either way, we’ll walk you through the pros and cons of each transition option:
- Third-party sale to a strategic or financial buyer
- Family succession with tax-smart gifting and governance
- Management buyout or key employee purchase
- ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan)
- Gradual transition over time or partial liquidity events
Each approach comes with trade-offs—financial, emotional, and operational. We help you weigh them with a clear head and a full picture.
Step 4: Design the Structure
Once you’ve chosen a direction, we move into the design phase.
That includes:
- Mapping out deal structure and financing options
- Coordinating with legal and tax advisors
- Planning for estate and gift tax implications
- Evaluating liquidity needs and investment goals post-transition
- Establishing governance and successor development plans
We often integrate life insurance, gifting strategies, or trust structures here—especially for family-owned or multigenerational businesses.
Step 5: Implement the Plan Overtime
A good transition plan isn’t just paperwork—it’s a timeline with real steps. We help you:
- Communicate your vision to family and employees
- Prepare successors with leadership coaching or support
- Set benchmarks for key business improvements
- Reassess as your goals or market conditions change
Planning early doesn’t mean exiting early—it means being ready when the moment’s right.
Why this Process Matters
Without a written plan, most transitions are reactive—and often costly. We’ve seen too many owners forced into rushed sales, deep discounts, or internal conflict because no plan was in place. Our process brings structure to an uncertain journey. And it helps you maximize the value of your life’s work, protect your family and business from forced decisions, reduce taxes and preserve wealth, and ultimately exit with confidence—not regret
Tools, Books & Support
Want to go deeper? Request a copy of Unlocking the Vault by John G. Griffin for a practical walkthrough of this process.
Start the Conversation—While You Still Have Time
The best time to create a transition plan is years before you think you’ll need one. Whether you’re three years from retirement or just starting to think about it, let’s talk. Your next chapter starts with a plan.