Business Owner Resources
Business Owner Annual Planning Review
A single conversation each year can keep a plan from drifting out of date. This review covers the business, your family, and your retirement priorities in one pass.
Review each item and note what still needs attention. Printing this page creates a working copy.
Business priorities
- Summarize how the business changed in the past year: revenue, staffing, locations, ownership.
- Identify any new debt, lease, or guarantee taken on during the year.
- Confirm your ownership agreement and any coverage still match the current structure.
People
- Note any new key employees, promotions, or departures.
- Confirm benefit and retention arrangements still apply to the right people.
- Review whether responsibilities are documented and cross-trained.
Family considerations
- Note any change in family circumstances — marriage, birth, divorce, health, or a death.
- Confirm beneficiary designations and estate documents reflect those changes.
- Ask whether family members understand the plan for the business.
Retirement and liquidity
- Compare the value you expect the business to provide with what you have saved outside it.
- Note the timeline you are now working toward and whether it has shifted.
- Identify what would have to be true for the business to be sellable on your schedule.
Protection and documents
- Confirm coverage amounts still make sense relative to today's obligations.
- Check that policy ownership and beneficiary designations are current.
- Verify your attorney, CPA, and financial professionals have current contact details and documents.
Next steps
- List two or three items to address before next year's review.
- Set the date for the next review now.
Content is provided for general educational and informational purposes only and is not individualized insurance, investment, legal, or tax advice. Insurance availability, eligibility, benefits, and costs depend on applicable policy terms, underwriting, and other factors. Consult qualified legal, tax, and financial professionals regarding your specific circumstances.