At I. M. Financial, we view the many facets of business planning through four primary lenses: (1) Organization & Governance; (2) People; (3) Growth, Proceess & KPI; and (4) and Exit Planning. The work within each of these categories has endless overlap and interplay. Across the spectrum of business planning needs and throughout the growth cycle, the separation of work between I. M. Financial team members, your internal teams, and each of our partners will vary. Still, we find it helpful to organize our own and our clients' thinking about key business factors in this way.

Key Considerations for Organization & Governance

• Ensure that company formation business type and agreements are best suited to new entity's needs and goals.
• Select and periodically review entity type and agreements to ensure continued fit as the organization grows and changes.
• Develop strong and sufficiently dynamic plans amongst Owners, Executives, and Key Employees. This applies to agreements, but also to retention strategies and executive benefits.
• Establish guidelines, procedures, and contingency plans to for corporate and owner protection from liability and the unexpected.
• Identify potential headwinds: partner with experts to focus on potential threats and best practices to mitigate them, including the ones you aren't already focused on.
• Protect key business assets.
• Create thoughtfully, and periodically review for fit:
  • Business investment plans
    
  • Corporate Structure
    
  • Organizational Chart
• Understand your plan for "Ownership Evolution" - your role and responsibilities will need to change as you advance through the phases of growth and development.
• Understand the likely causes and beneficial use cases of corporate restructures.
• Determine your approach and prioritization for executive protection and compensation.
• Start with a firm grasp of the areas of planning that have to be solidified and executed well before you need to use them:
  • Tax Optimization
  • Risk Mitigation
    
  • Continuation Planning
  • Trusts and Estates Planning