Introduction
Business owners are confronted with a number of decisions each day that impact their business, the sum of which in the long-run, will have a significant impact on their lives. Over time, a privately-held business is likely to become the major asset of its owner. Given the tremendous financial, labor, and time investments that the owners make in their business, no decision is more important than developing a strategy for achieving personal liquidity through the merger or acquisition of their company. This is an issue that many privately-held business owners are reluctant to discuss, or even consider at first, due to their emotional attachment to the businesses they have struggled to build over the years. Many find it difficult to imagine not owning and running their company and initially refuse to recognize the importance of planning ahead for a potential liquidity event. However, this issue should become a major concern for those privately-held business owners, particularly those who are nearing retirement age, and/or seeking to achieve personal liquidity via a transaction.
