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Exit Planning Workshop for Advisors

As an advisor, your clients look to you for guidance and to help them achieve their future goals. A natural opportunity for you to increase your business lies within your existing client base - business owners. All business owners, regardless of the stage of their life, can benefit from planning for the eventual exit from that business. Our 2-day seminar will show you everything you need to know in order to incorporate exit strategy planning into the services you provide - today.

The Need for Exit Strategy Planning

Did you know that there are an estimated 22 million businesses in the United States? With the largest generation in our country's history entering retirement age, and many of the nation's private businesses are owned and run by these Baby Boomers, the need for these business owners to prepare for their exit is more important now than ever before.

Within the next 35 years, experts estimate that $10.4 TRILLION of net worth from private businesses will be transferred. There is urgency to this emerging marketing with very few advisors or consultants currently trained and prepared to advise clients on how to successfully exit their business. In addition, most business owners equate exiting their business with selling their business. Unfortunately, less than 20% of companies successfully sell to an outside buyer. The not so obvious, but much more frequent, exit strategies include transfers to family member, to management teams, to private equity groups, or to employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) as well as gifting programs.

Become a Quarterback

You do not need to become a financial advisor/investment banker/business valuation analyst/tax advisor all rolled into one. Your goal will be to simply understand the needs of your business owner client, compare the exit strategy options available to them, and then to add value by coordinating the exit strategy process. Our two-day seminar will show you everything you need to know, how to incorporate it into your business today, and how to start selling your services.

Exit Planning Experts

John is a recognized as a leader in the exit strategy planning field and for fifteen years has served the various roles of manager, transactional advisor, legal advisor and financial advisor to privately held businesses. He is also an exiting business owner in his own right, successfully selling his wealth management business in early 2008.

John M. Leonetti is the founder and managing director of Pinnacle Equity Solutions, an exit strategy planning firm which offers planning services to business owners as well as education and training programs for professional advisors. He is the author of the newly released book Exiting Your Business, Protecting Your Wealth: A Strategic Guide for Owners and Their Advisors [John Wiley & Sons, 2008].



Watch a short video clip of John's appearances on ABC News Now and NECN as well as one of John's seminars:


Joseph Bazzano, CPA, CVA, is a graduate of Bentley College with a Bachelors of Science Degree in Accountancy. He is a member of American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Connecticut Society of Certified Public Accountants and National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts. Joe is a board member of Exit Planning Exchange Connecticut, Inc and former chairman of the Connecticut Society of Certified Public Accountants’ Manufacturing Committee. He has been awarded and official citation from the Connecticut General Assembly for Community Service. His work experience includes nearly 20 years of service in areas of public accounting, exit planning and valuation services to closely held companies ranging from $10,000 to $100 million. Areas of expertise include financial reporting, consulting, business valuations, mergers and acquisitions, exit strategies, tax planning and compliance for individuals and business entities in the manufacturing, construction, wholesale and real estate industries.


Daniel J. Munroe, J.D., CLU, provides sophisticated insurance and financial planning strategies for estate, business, and charitable planning. He has over ten years experience in identifying and implementing wealth transfer strategies for private clients and corporations. His background includes managing the AXA Equitable Insurance Company estate and business planning advanced markets team, as well as the individual life insurance product and marketing development group. He has also served as Assistant General Counsel for Berkshire Life Insurance Company, and Assistant Attorney General for the Commonwealth of Virginia. Immediately after law school, Mr. Munroe served as a judicial clerk for the court of Appeals of Virginia and an Assistant District Attorney for the City of Richmond.

Mr. Munroe holds a B.B.A from The University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He received a J.D. degree from The Washington and Lee University School of Law in 1993. Mr. Munroe also holds the Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) designation. He Resides in Simsbury Connecticut with his wife and two children. He is involved with several local charities, coaches with the Simsbury Little League, and enjoys hiking the many beautiful trails of Connecticut with his family. Mr. Munroe frequently publishes in Connecticut CPA Magazine, local periodicals, and appears monthly on The Fox 61 Morning New Money Matters segment.


Michael W. Camerota, J.D. Founder of Touchstone Advisors, Michael Camerota has thirty years of professional and personal experience in business purchases and sales, family business issues, and marketing and sales.

Before founding Touchstone Advisors, Mike was an officer of Camerota Truck Parts, a re-manufacturing and distribution company with $20 million in sales. He began his working life practicing law in Connecticut for 12 years. Subsequently practiced as a licensed marriage and family therapist, and then founded and served as the director of the Center for Family Business at the University of New Haven.

Mike is President of the New England Business Brokers Association (NEBBA), serves on the Governance Committee of M&A Source, an international organization of merger and acquisition professionals and private equity groups. Mike serves on the National Editorial Board for M&A Advantage, has been designated an industry expert by Business Brokerage Press and is a contributor to its Business Reference Guide. Mike holds the highest designation awarded by the International Business Brokers Association, that of Certified Business Intermediary (CBI), as well as several other professional designations.


Marcel J. Bernier, Esq., is a partner in the Hartford office of Murtha Cullina, LLP. He is a member of the Corporate, Health Care and Trusts and Estates Groups and is a Co-Chairman of the Privately Owned Business Group.

Marcel has assisted businesses for over twenty five years with a variety of legal matters, including:

  • serving as corporate general counsel
  • structuring and forming new ventures
  • structuring over 200 limited liability company operating agreements
  • drafting employment, non-competition, deferred compensation, incentive compensation phantom stock and other executive compensation agreements
  • closing loan transactions
  • advising business clients with respect to minimizing federal and state income taxes
  • completing tax-free mergers and reorganizations
  • structuring over 200 business buy-sell agreements
  • negotiating and completing over 200 business purchase and sale transactions

He represents businesses in many industries, including manufacturing, distribution, retail, real estate, insurance, computer software, e-commerce and professional service firms.

Marcel has an Accounting Degree from Florida State University, a Law Degree from the University of Connecticut and a Master of Laws Degree in Taxation from Boston University.

He was a member of the Connecticut Bar Association Subcommittee which drafted the Connecticut Limited Liability Company Act and a co-author of Limited Liability Companies in Connecticut published by the National Business Institute.

He has an A rating from the Martindale Hubbell Law Directory and is among the top five percent of Connecticut attorneys selected by attorneys as a Connecticut Super Lawyer.

Marcel also assists clients with estate planning and estate and trust administration matters.

He speaks frequently to business groups and professional associations regarding business and tax issues with respect to purchasing and selling


Kevin Kennedy, Pinnacle Member
Kevin is a national speaker and author on exit planning and succession for small businesses. He understands firsthand the challenges owners face from buying a company, transferring a business and preparing the new owners for leadership. His engaging style and experience communicate this complicated succession process in an understandable manner. Mr. Kennedy sold his portion of the 64-year company to the leaders of their 3rd succession team. The 200+ employee company is ranked by ENR in the top 20 of their specialty contracting industry.

He is the founder of Beacon Exit Planning, which advises owners in developing customized exit & succession strategies. (www.beaconexitplanning.com)


Continuing Education Credits

BONUS: This workshop has been approved for the following credits:

  • Approved for 16 hours of CPE credit
  • Approved for 10 hours of CFP credit

Pinnacle Equity Solutions is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be addressed to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors, 150 Fourth Avenue North, Suite 700, Nashville, TN, 37219-2417. Web site: www.nasba.org.

This program has been accepted for CFP® Credit by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the certification marks CFP® CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER- and in the U.S., which it awards to individuals who successfully complete CFP Board's initial and ongoing certification requirements.

Workshop Outline

Our 2-day workshop will give you all the tools you'll need to incorporate exit strategy planning into the services you provide. During the workshop, you'll learn the benefits of being the quarterback of an Exit Strategy Transaction, including:

We'll cover a simple six-step process to complete a successful exit plan:


DAY ONE: SETTING UP THE PLAN

  • The Marketplace for Exiting Owners - The marketplace that is looking for this service is currently in the millions. We'll look at the advisors who are currently serving these business owners.
  • Initial Meetings/Questions for Owners - What business owners are most concerned about and the questions that advisors are not asking their business owner clients.
  • Exit Goals of the Business Owner - Ask the right questions to find out "What they want".
  • Mental and Financial Readiness for an Exit - Can the owner afford to exit? What is the emotional meaning of the business to the owner?
  • The Four Types of Exiting Owners - Simple charts to determine the type of business owner you are dealing with and what their optimal exit option is.
  • The Five Major Transaction Options - We will cover the 5 major exit transaction options which include a Sale, ESOP, Management Buyout, Private Equity Group Recap, and Gifting Strategies.
  • Valuations for each Exit Option & Why They Vary - There is a range of values for each business exit option. Learn to match the range of values to the owner's goals to achieve a successful strategy.

Case Study: Advisor Bill Meets Business Owner Joe - Interactive Group Case Study to apply what you've learned during Day 1 of the workshop.


DAY TWO: EXECUTION OF THE PLAN

  • Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs) - Why they are a powerful and flexible tool for conversations and planning.
  • Risk Management & Insurance Planning - Protecting business owner personal wealth through the use of insurance.
  • Deal Structuring & Taxes - It's often said "It's not what you get, but what you keep that matters." We'll see the tax implications of different exit options and how they can "kill a deal" if not addressed properly.
  • Selling a Business: The M&A Process - Understanding the M&A Process for the sale of the business and how an 'external' deal is structured.
  • Legal Agreements - Types of legal agreements that an exiting owner will likely sign.
  • Service Providers & The Advisory Team - None of us is as smart as all of us - Learn to work with your client's existing advisors to execute a successful exit strategy.

Case Study: Pulling it All Together - Learn how to put all of the information you've learned over the 2 days into an Exit Strategies Report for your client.





"...One of the best decisions that I have made in my 14 year career in the financial planning business. Thanks to Pinnacle, I now consider myself and our firm to be clearly more distinguished than most other practitioners in terms of the expertise and value we can provide to our clients. I also see the opportunity to dramatically increase our revenues and client base because of your support to help make it happen."

Warland Griffith, President and CEO
Wealth Management Advisors, Inc.
Miami, FL

"My Membership with Pinnacle Equity Solutions has breathed a fresh breath of life into my wealth management practice. The exit strategies concept is unique and a great value-add for my business owner clients. Within a month of attending the 2-Day Exit Strategies Training Workshop, I was incorporating exit strategy planning into my practice and impressing clients with my holistic advice on their illiquid wealth.

"I am now excited about prospecting with this idea as no other advisors are using these tools to grow their practices. Pinnacle's approach has allowed me to engage this valuable marketplace of business owners like never before, providing more opportunity for my practice than I could have even imagined."

R. Bennett Firestone
Legacy Wealth Management
Mt. Pleasant, NC

"I thoroughly enjoyed the Pinnacle workshop. It was one of the most informative and exciting workshops I have attended in a long time. This looks to be a very exciting new opportunity for financial advisors and I recommend you attend if you want to know more about the field of Business Transition Planning."

Timothy T. Traub, CFP
Orleans, MA

"In assisting my M&A clients, I recognized a great need for exit planning. I had been actively searching for an organization to give me the needed knowledge, tools and information to integrate this service into my existing M&A practice. John Leonetti has addressed this grossly under-served market segment and is providing financial professionals the necessary tools and support to capture this growing market. I am so thankful to have found Pinnacle Equity Solutions. Now I will be able to successfully incorporate exit planning into my present business. I highly recommend it!"

Kathleen Richardson-Mauro, CFP, CBI, CM&AA, Broker
Florida's Business Connection Inc
Spring Hill, FL



Workshop cost is $497

Click Below To Enroll Online Now!





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If you have questions about registering for this event or require additional information about our services, you can call our Pinnacle Equity Solutions office at 781-821-2608.