Achieving wealth from small business
Helen and John are in their mid-forties with two children at high school and run a retail business. Whilst profitable, due to the nature of the business, cashflow is always tight. Initially we worked with Helen and John over a number of years to help them gain a better understanding of their numbers, gain control of their cashflow and appreciate the importance of extracting wealth to provide for their future. Our resolve in helping clients understand their financial position is to ensure they don’t rely solely on the ultimate sale of their business to fund their retirement.
For a number of years we consistently advised Helen and John to make the maximum super contributions under the prevailing legislation at the time. Initially they rejected this advice as cash was tight and they were under the belief that the Government may change the rules and they would not be able to access their money. After a couple of years Helen and John decided to take our advice and maximise their super and also save some additional money.
Starting out
At the early stages of embarking on this investment and business strategy Helen and John were not feeling like they were making any progress and would regularly question the strategy. Luckily for Helen and John they decided to stick with it and keep on investing. After around five years, Helen and John could really see the growth in their investments and a light at the end of the tunnel. Ten years on from the initial investing Helen and John now want to step away from their business and enter the next stage of their life. With no one inside the business to take over the reins, it was decided the business would be marketed for sale.
Investment and business strategy
Despite an extensive period of the business being for sale, Helen and John were unable to find a buyer. With the lease for their premises up for renewal they did not have the energy to sign for another three years. It was at this point that Helen and John decided to sell the remaining stock, auction off the Plant and Equipment and close the doors. It was a sad ending for their business and the team that had supported them, but due to the discipline that Helen and John had undertaken with their 15 plus years of investing, they had enough capital behind them to be able to enjoy a very good retirement, based on the passive income their investments were now generating.
We regularly see this scenario play out for clients that are business owners. While we work hard for every business to have a succession plan and be able to hand over to another generation of family or sell to an external party, we don’t always see that come to fruition. It is for that very reason we also work extremely hard with our clients to start their investment journey as soon as possible to ensure they have the best chance of enjoying a comfortable retirement or the next stage of their life when they don’t want the commitment of full time endeavours.
Ensuring our clients have a well-rounded financial foundation means there a greater options when it comes to making choices for the future.
