May 12, 2021
The succession of a business or exiting from a business is an important and intimate event most business owners will have to plan at some point in their journey. We dedicated today’s episode to exploring what business owners should think about when planning their succession or exit, even if they don’t anticipate it anytime soon. Today, our guest is Michael Vann, an author, certified scale architect, and the president of The Vann Group LLC. Throughout the episode, we explore the process of succession, how relationships and emotions come into play, how taxation applies to succession, and what Michael has learned through his extensive experience in the mergers and acquisitions market.
[01:35] Michael’s Background – We start the conversation with a brief review of Michael’s background, from being in the corporate environment to working on his father’s business.
[04:51] Acquisitions – While working in the corporate world, Michael gained lots of experience in acquisitions. He shares some of the important strategic planning points of acquisitions for buyers.
[10:21] Family Business – Once Michael left his corporate job, he started working on his father’s business. Michael talks about the work he did there and how the business evolved under his influence.
[15:44] Business Transitions – Michael’s family business has been going through a phase of transition from his father to Michael and his siblings. Michael dives deep into the process of transitioning and the emotional aspect of it.
[18:02] Process of Successions – The typical flow of business succession, deciding between different options for succession, and managing financial matters.
[23:38] Relationship Dynamics – Business transitions may get a bit more complex when they’re between family members or people with close personal relationships. Michael talks about some of the obstacles that may come up in these sorts of transitions and how to overcome them.
[27:12] COVID and the Industry – How the pandemic impacted Michael’s line of business and the new trends that emerged from it.
[33:19] Taxation – Michael shares his take on how the newly proposed tax reforms may affect buyers and sellers in the mergers and acquisitions arena.
[39:11] Michael’s Vision for Future – Michael dives into some of the possible avenues for his business to expand and grow, and some of the interesting concepts covered in the book Michael coauthored with his father.
Resources: Michael’s Book: amazon.com/Buying-Out-Boss-Successors-Succession/dp/1544511302/&tag=authorhour-20 Website: vann-group.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/michaelvann