Why We Do What We Do
Several years ago, a friend and an owner of a professional practice asked me to help him run his firm like a "real business." As it turned out (and to my surprise), I had the temperament and skills to think strategically, lead a team with fortitude, and relentlessly execute a plan with laser focus. My success in that role led me to a project with another firm, and then another, and so on. Thus began my life as an accidental executive and business consultant.
With no previous experience running a business and no one guiding me, I had to think hard about how I can maximize my effectiveness in the shortest amount of time. To this end, I decided to approach each project from the perspective of an imaginary buyer. I asked myself, "If I were a potential buyer of this business, what would make it so attractive that I would willingly risk my hard-earned money to buy it?" I concluded that as a buyer, I'd look for a turn-key business that's set up to generate a healthy cash flow—sustainable, predictable, and transferable—year in and year out (and growing) long after its owner has moved on.
In my mind, a saleable business was a healthy business, and vice versa.
With that in mind, I rolled up sleeves and got to work. Then a worrying pattern began to emerge. While each firm I worked with was unique, profitable, and successful, every single one was far too dependent on its owner (also the founder) who acted as its CEO, CFO, COO, relationship manager, rainmaker, HR manager, marketing director, client event coordinator, bookkeeper, and the person who took out the trash. If the owner were to suddenly disappear—voluntarily or involuntarily—the firm would decline rapidly and may even collapse in time because no one was trained or equipped to step up and into the owner's shoes and keep it afloat, much less grow it. In short, while these firms were profitable and had the appearance of success, there was no business value to speak of because they were too dependent on their owners.
Let that sink in for a moment. They owned successful and profitable—but worthless—businesses.
This observation led me to develop and implement a system that would generate a healthy cash flow—sustainable, predictable, and transferable—designed to minimizes dependence on the owner.
Of course, it was easier said that done. It entailed implementing a strategic plan and sticking to it instead of operating at the whim of the owner, developing a firm-wide growth strategy rather than depending on the owner’s rainmaking skills, documenting business and operational processes and having everyone follow them, managing business risks, tightening up legal documents, formalizing financial controls, and so on. Sounds simple enough, but it was hard work.
In a particularly challenging and time-sensitive project, the owner of the firm was facing health complications. With revenue rapidly dropping and clients leaving by the week—not to mention declining employee morale—we had to act fast and reverse course. When the dust finally settled, I somehow managed to help increase the value of the firm four-fold (400%), and sell it at a price that would have seemed outrageously optimistic when I started the project just one year prior. The most memorable compliment I received from the owner was, “Where were you five years ago?”
Needless to say, I learned many things from working with these business owners, but one thing in particular really stuck out to me.
With no previous experience running a business and no one guiding me, I had to think hard about how I can maximize my effectiveness in the shortest amount of time. To this end, I decided to approach each project from the perspective of an imaginary buyer. I asked myself, "If I were a potential buyer of this business, what would make it so attractive that I would willingly risk my hard-earned money to buy it?" I concluded that as a buyer, I'd look for a turn-key business that's set up to generate a healthy cash flow—sustainable, predictable, and transferable—year in and year out (and growing) long after its owner has moved on.
In my mind, a saleable business was a healthy business, and vice versa.
With that in mind, I rolled up sleeves and got to work. Then a worrying pattern began to emerge. While each firm I worked with was unique, profitable, and successful, every single one was far too dependent on its owner (also the founder) who acted as its CEO, CFO, COO, relationship manager, rainmaker, HR manager, marketing director, client event coordinator, bookkeeper, and the person who took out the trash. If the owner were to suddenly disappear—voluntarily or involuntarily—the firm would decline rapidly and may even collapse in time because no one was trained or equipped to step up and into the owner's shoes and keep it afloat, much less grow it. In short, while these firms were profitable and had the appearance of success, there was no business value to speak of because they were too dependent on their owners.
Let that sink in for a moment. They owned successful and profitable—but worthless—businesses.
This observation led me to develop and implement a system that would generate a healthy cash flow—sustainable, predictable, and transferable—designed to minimizes dependence on the owner.
Of course, it was easier said that done. It entailed implementing a strategic plan and sticking to it instead of operating at the whim of the owner, developing a firm-wide growth strategy rather than depending on the owner’s rainmaking skills, documenting business and operational processes and having everyone follow them, managing business risks, tightening up legal documents, formalizing financial controls, and so on. Sounds simple enough, but it was hard work.
In a particularly challenging and time-sensitive project, the owner of the firm was facing health complications. With revenue rapidly dropping and clients leaving by the week—not to mention declining employee morale—we had to act fast and reverse course. When the dust finally settled, I somehow managed to help increase the value of the firm four-fold (400%), and sell it at a price that would have seemed outrageously optimistic when I started the project just one year prior. The most memorable compliment I received from the owner was, “Where were you five years ago?”
Needless to say, I learned many things from working with these business owners, but one thing in particular really stuck out to me.
For a business owner, their business is almost always the most valuable asset they own. So growing and protecting the value of their business, and eventually monetizing such value, is enormously consequential to achieving financial freedom.
Said differently, the net amount that ends up in their pocket after selling or transferring their business -- after taxes, after fees, after paying off outstanding loans and bills, after everything -- can directly, and quite literally, impact what they can and can't afford in retirement and how much they can and can't leave to their heirs and charities.
Clearly, it's worth their time and energy to exit their business by design rather than by default. They can't afford to leave it to chance.
Said differently, the net amount that ends up in their pocket after selling or transferring their business -- after taxes, after fees, after paying off outstanding loans and bills, after everything -- can directly, and quite literally, impact what they can and can't afford in retirement and how much they can and can't leave to their heirs and charities.
Clearly, it's worth their time and energy to exit their business by design rather than by default. They can't afford to leave it to chance.
Thus, we set out to help business owners leave their businesses in style—when they want, for the money they need, to the person they choose.
We invite you to work with us.
Respectfully,
Hoon Kang, CPA, CFP®, ChFC, CLU
Partner | Co-founder | Director of Financial Planning
Partner | Co-founder | Director of Financial Planning
