Financial advisor for business owners
You built it.
Now make it last.
For founders and owners who have spent years building a company, we plan around the business: before a sale, through it and long after.
A financial advisor for business owners plans around the company: taxes and retirement plans while you own it, deal structure and proceeds when you sell, and turning a one-time windfall into durable family wealth afterward, coordinated with your CPA and attorney.
While you own it
While you own the business.
For most owners, the business is the plan. It is the income, the largest asset and often the retirement strategy all at once. Good planning starts by separating the three.
Retirement planning for business owners
Owners have retirement plan options employees do not, including solo 401(k)s and plans tied to an S corporation. These are things to know to ask about. We look at them with your CPA to fit your income, your employees and your timeline.
When the business is the portfolio
Concentration is natural for an owner, and it is also a risk. We look at how much of your family’s future depends on one company and build savings outside it, so the plan does not rest on a single outcome.
Succession planning for business owners
Whether the next owner is a child, a partner, your employees or a buyer, succession takes years, not months. Starting early leaves room to choose, and to plan for the taxes and the income that follow.
Sudden wealth changes everything. A plan keeps it steady.
Before the sale
Before the sale.
Some of the most useful planning happens before a letter of intent is signed. Once terms are set, many options narrow. Here’s what that looks like in practice.
The months before a sale are the time to understand your number, your taxes and what you want life to look like afterward. Our piece on planning moves founders make before a sale goes deeper.
Planning that works best before a letter of intent
Estate and gifting strategies, entity questions and where proceeds will land are easier to address before terms are agreed. We coordinate these conversations with your CPA and attorney while there is still room to decide.
Qualified Small Business Stock
If your business is a domestic C corporation and meets certain qualifications, some of the gain on sale may be excluded under the Qualified Small Business Stock rules. The rules are detailed and date-sensitive. A review by a qualified attorney and tax advisor belongs near the top of your list.
After the sale
After the sale: sudden wealth, managed.
A sale can change everything at once: your income, your identity and your family’s future. The first job is not to invest. It is to slow down.
How to manage sudden wealth
Most decisions after a windfall can wait a few months. Set aside the taxes you owe, protect what you have and give yourself time to decide what this money is for. Then build the plan.
Where proceeds sit while the plan is built
Proceeds usually sit somewhere safe and accessible while the long-term plan comes together. We help decide how much stays liquid, how much can be invested and when.
Replacing your business income
For years the business paid you. Now the portfolio has to. We build an income plan that replaces your paycheck, covers taxes and supports the life you want next.
What to look for in a sudden wealth advisor
Look for a fee-only fiduciary paid only by you, a team that includes CPAs for the tax side, and an advisor who asks about your life before your portfolio.
How Tilson helps
Built for owners who want it to last.
Tilson Financial Group is family-led and independent, founded in 1991 by Robert Tilson in New Providence. Built to be your last advisor.
We are a fee-only SEC Registered Investment Adviser. Our advisory team includes CFP® professionals, CPAs and a CFA® charterholder, so portfolio design and tax planning with our CPAs happen together. After a liquidity event, we help turn a one-time windfall into durable family wealth, alongside your attorney.
When you call, a human answers.
Your advisory team knows your story.
Our back office knows your name.
Comprehensive financial planning
Retirement planning
Tax planning
Estate planning coordination
Investment management
Multigenerational planning
We work with owners across New Jersey and across the country. Meet the team.
Who this is for.
You are a founder a few years from a sale, or an owner five or more years out who wants options. You have recently closed and are figuring out what comes next. You are an executive whose equity compensation has become most of your net worth. You want a plan built around the business, not a product.
If that sounds like you, we should talk.
“I trust them to be competent, concerned and in it for me.”
Charlie G., Current Client
Clients were not compensated for testimonials.
Questions business owners ask us.
What is a liquidity event?
A liquidity event is any moment when an illiquid asset, like a business or private shares, turns into cash. A sale, a merger, a buyout or a public offering can all be liquidity events. They often bring a large tax bill and a new set of decisions at the same time.
What should I do first after selling my business?
Slow down. Set aside what you owe in taxes, keep the proceeds safe and accessible, and give yourself a few months before making large decisions. Then build a plan for income, investments and estate documents with your advisor, CPA and attorney.
Should I pay off debt or invest after a windfall?
It depends on the debt, the interest rate, your taxes and how much flexibility you want. Paying off debt can bring peace of mind. Investing can support long-term goals. Most plans do some of both, decided inside the full picture rather than one at a time.
How do you diversify a concentrated position?
Gradually, and with taxes in view. Options can include selling over time, giving shares to family or charity and using strategies that manage the tax impact. These are things to know to ask about. The right mix depends on your plan and advice from your tax advisor.
Do I need to update my estate plan after a sale?
Almost always. A sale changes what you own, how it is titled and what your heirs will receive. Review your will, trusts, beneficiaries and powers of attorney with your estate attorney after closing. We help make sure the documents match the new plan.
This is general information, not personalized advice.
Ready to talk?
What comes after the sale starts with a conversation.
No pitch. No pressure. Just a conversation about the business, what comes next and whether we might be a good fit. If you are planning a sale or living with one, let’s talk.
Or call (908) 561-6203
Tilson Financial Group brings clarity, confidence, and presence when it counts.
The Tilson Financial Group, Inc. is a Registered Investment Adviser registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The material provided is for educational purposes.
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