Our Business Owner Planning Process
“When a man does not know which harbor he is heading for, no wind is the right wind.” – Seneca

- What does “leaving the business” mean to you?
- When would you like the freedom of not having to go to work?
- What are your business “legacy” desires?
- Is it time to consider when, who, and how much?
What's Your Business Worth?
Retirement Planning for Business Owners
As a business owner, you have the opportunity to chart your own financial course in a way that few others do. Our business planning process is designed to help you clarify your long-term objectives while ensuring business value and the cash flow it provides are protected from unforeseen threats. We help you evaluate all possible future exit paths and explore strategies to attract, retain, and incentivize key employees to promote continuity and increase business value. When the time comes, we will guide you through the ownership transition process and help you realize the full value of your life's work.
Initial Conversation
We’ve been helping business owners strike a harmonious balance between business and personal planning needs since 1987. We realize everything in your financial world begins and ends with your business. Whether it's cash flow, retirement planning or healthcare decisions, your situation doesn't fit the traditional planning mold. With a combined 150+ years, the experienced financial professionals at Peachtree Planning work as a team to help businesses protect and increase its value.
Our Business Owner and Exit Planning Specialist

Darrell L. “Corky” Dawes, CLU®, CHFC®, CExP
Chief Executive Officer

James Gnefkow, JD, LLM, MBA, CExP
Associate General Agent, Managing Director & Director of Advanced Planning

Dustin A. Dawes, CLU®, ChFC®, CExP
President of Distribution

Brian M. Holmes, RICP®, CExP®
Senior Partner/Wealth Management Advisor



Helping Business Owners Exit Their Business...On Their Terms.

Business Continuation Planning
When it comes to planning for tomorrow, as a successful business owner, it’s likely that you don’t just think about your own future; you also worry about the longevity of your company. Fortunately, there’s a solution that can help you protect both: business continuation planning.
When properly executed, business continuation planning can help your company thrive for the long term, regardless of what lies ahead. And it can help to protect your future as well, by ensuring that a succession plan is in place if you or one of your co-owners leaves the business — due to death, disability, retirement, or some other unplanned event
Implementing business continuation planning using a buy-sell agreement helps you to prepare for the unexpected. That’s because a buy-sell agreement is a legal contract that obligates surviving owners, or the company itself, to buy out the interest of an owner who dies or becomes disabled. The agreement may also spell out other triggers for a purchase or sale, such as the retirement of an owner, the criminal conviction of an owner, and more. A buy-sell agreement also outlines methods to determine a fair price for the deceased or disabled owner’s interest in the business. And, when informally funded through the use of permanent life insurance, a buy-sell agreement can also help your company save money.
The advantages of a properly funded buy-sell agreement are many:
- It establishes a ready market to purchase the business
- It establishes a value for the purchase price of the business
- It identifies future buyers
- It identifies the events that would trigger the buy-sell agreement
- It provides a source of funds1 necessary to make the arrangement effective
It would be my pleasure to help you with your business continuation planning — and to help you fund it in a cost-effective manner. If you already have a buy-sell agreement, I can provide a complementary review to ensure it is still meeting your needs. My goal is to help you worry less about the future, so you can focus more on running your successful business today. I’ll contact you soon, so we can start working on your customized business continuation plan.
1 All whole life insurance policy guarantees are subject to the timely payment of all required premiums and the claims-paying ability of the issuing insurance company. Policy loans and withdrawals affect the guarantees by reducing the policy’s death benefit and cash values. 2021-117372 (Exp. 3/23)

Exit Planning for Small Business Owners
What was your vision for your business when you first started it? Did you just want to be your own boss or earn more money? You probably didn’t think about selling your company to your investors or partners or passing it down to the next generation. And yet, all business owners must eventually create an exit strategy for their company. Maybe it’s time to move on to another project that’s calling to you. Maybe it’s time to retire. Whatever your reasons, you need an exit strategy to ensure that the business you built can continue to thrive after your departure.
There are many options available for an exit strategy, including:
- Going public
- Mergers & acquisitions
- Sale to a family member or peer
- Buyout by managers
- Selling to partners or investors
The sale of your business can be part of your retirement strategy, but it can also allow your vision to continue on even when you’re no longer actively involved. But before you can sell the company or pass it down, it’s a good idea to assess your business. The more value you can add, the more you can sell it for when it’s time.
Guardian, its subsidiaries, agents, and employees do not provide tax, legal, or accounting advice. Consult your tax, legal, or accounting professional regarding your individual situation.

3 Tips to Plan Your Exit Strategy

Asset Protection What it is and why it matters
