TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR FINANCIAL FUTURETailored for small business owners and entrepreneur like yourself who are looking for long-term financial planning and wealth management, The Business Owner's Guide to Financial Freedom reveals the secrets behind successfully investing in your business while bypassing Wall Street-influenced financial planners.Attorney and CPA Mark J. Kohler and expert financial planner Randall A. Luebke deliver a guide catered to your entrepreneurial journey as they teach you how to create assets that provide income so work is no longer a requirement, identify money and tax-saving strategies, and address business succession plans to help you transition into the investment phase of business ownership.Learn how Pinpoint the dollar value of your business with a step-by-step formula Eliminate and avoid bad debt while leveraging your good debt Uncover investment strategies Wall Street won't tell you Achieve long-term goals with the 4x4 Financial Independence Plan Find an advisor willing to look out for your best interests Super-charge your 401(k) and leverage your insurance to get rich Create the best exit strategy for you, your business, and your family Avoid the most common mistakes in real estate investment Protect your hard-earned assets from security threats ready to strikeYou can't predict the future, but you can plan for it. So if you're ready to stop treating your business like your only asset and want to start making it your most valuable legacy, this book is for you!
I loved this book. I recommend it to everyone even if you never intend to own a business. The first part of the book teaches you how to take control of your financial future as an individual first and foremost, and then as a prospective business owner. I read most of the book with the exception of Part IV (chp. 18-22) and Part V (chp. 23-25).
The following is a general outline of what you will learn from the book: - Understand good and bad debt and how to leverage the good debt - Use 4x4 Financial independence plan to achieve your long-term financial goals - Know attributes of an advisor working in your best interest -Investment strategies Wall Street will never tell you - Why you need insurance and how to leverage it - Common real estate investment mistakes and how to avoid them - How to supercharge your retirement accounts - Various unique financial planning tools for entrepreneurs and SMOs
The FIVE parts and chapters are as follows:
Part I. Perspective chp. 1 the entrepreneur mindset chp 2 a reality check - the true value of your business chp 3 the truth about your financial advisor chp 4 what wall street isn't telling you
Part II. Forge a Better, Smarter, and Safer Way chp 5 the lifetime paradigm and the 4x4 financial independence plan chp 6 optimize what you already have chp 7 dealing with debt as an entrepreneur chp 8 maintaining proper cash reserves chp 9 investing your profits and building buckets
Part III. Deploying Your Assets Strategically chp 10 understanding the limitations and potential power of social security chp 11 the role of your personal residence chp 12 health care - the hidden time bomb chp 13 self-directing and strategic use of the IRA, SEP, and 401(k) chp 14 why rental real estate, and how to do it right chp 15 vacation property and timeshares: strategies and pitfalls chp 16 the proper role of insurance in your plan chp 17 what you should be buying from wall street
Part IV. Exit Strategies for Your Business chp 18 preparing to sell your business chp 19 pricing your business and increasing its value chp 20 helping your partners or employees buy the business chp 21 how to find and sell to a third-party buyer chp 22 selling to your family
Part V. Protecting Your Hard-Earned Assets chp 23 asset protection: inside and outside chp 24 cyber security risks chp 25 where estate planning fits into the equation
Mark Kohler’s The Business Owner’s Guide to Financial Freedom is a highly practical and eye-opening read for anyone considering entrepreneurship. The amount of information packed into this book is impressive—it serves as a great primer on the often-overlooked legal, tax, and financial implications of running a business. Kohler breaks down complex concepts in an accessible way, helping readers understand how to structure their business, protect assets, and minimize tax liabilities legally and efficiently. Anyone thinking of starting a business—or even current owners looking to tighten up their strategy—should read or at least explore this guide. It’s one of those books that could save you thousands just by pointing you in the right direction.
Easy to read and understand, targeted primarily at US citizens, the book explains how to organize and take care of your finances if you are a small business owner (entrepreneur). It explains, in short, different ways of valuing your business, presents a financial independence achievement plan, pitfalls likely to be faced in running a small business, selling it or transferring to the next generation, dealing with real estate, insurance, and protecting your assets. Although the book will not make you an expert in it, but it will definitely make you see the need of consulting an expert, as there are so many pitfalls in doing it yourself. Anyone, who is or expects to become a (USD) millionaire should definitely read this book.
As a CPA myself who works with small business owners, I recommend this book as a good overview of the various strategies business owners should be considering.
Some items in some chapters have great directions for implementation. Otherwise the book is about 30% more wordy than needed. I should convert important items to specific actions for myself.