Determining your succession plan can seem daunting, but strategic partnerships can help.

Thinking about appointing a successor to hold the reins of your business can be daunting. “More than 50% of the business owners we work with haven’t considered or developed their succession plan,” says Robert Tyndall, Managing Director of Regions Securities, LLC in Charlotte, North Carolina. “With the day-to-day needs of running a business, often the future seems farther away than it really is.”

When there isn’t a direct or obvious line of succession, a merger or an acquisition may provide a clear alternative and thoughtful transition plan. Even if there is a successor, there can be value in bringing in additional investors, including private equity or family officer investors, or other strategic partners.

Your trusted or recommended advisors, lawyers and M&A experts can help you evaluate reasonable paths for the future. “The first thing to consider,” says Tyndall, “is whether your very good company could be made into an even greater, more valuable and more sustainable business with a few intentional changes, such as the strategic use of new technologies.”

But owners should be aware that there are many unforeseen challenges when it comes to navigating their sale. Today’s businesses need to meet higher regulatory, compliance and reporting standards to achieve full value in a sale or an equity investment process.

It’s important to have a capable and experienced team helping you prepare for and navigate the business succession process.

Your Regions Wealth Advisor has access to a team of wealth planning professionals who can help carve a path for a future for your business that you are comfortable with.