You invest a substantial amount of energy into running, growing, and evolving your business. Knowing when, where, and how to best direct your efforts could mean the difference in thousands, or even millions, of dollars long-term. Having spent two decades accruing and organizing essential datapoints on more than 15,000 businesses, we’ve got a tight grasp on what matters most at each step of the way.
Depending upon your goals, certain areas will move the needle faster than others. Rather than guess at the best use of your limited resources, our team has compiled a list of places where your ownership and C-Suite team can start assessing opportunities for increased firm value.
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Topics:
Selling Your Practice,
Business Growth,
M&A,
Revenue Strength,
Business Value,
Revenue Sharing,
Multiples,
Benchmarking,
Valuation & Appraisal,
KPI

We’re coming off an incredible year from mergers and acquisitions yet again. In fact, we closed out 2022 as one of our greatest ever for FP Transitions, and the same goes for Live Oak Bank. We took a moment to reconnect with James Hughes, SVP of Advisory Lending for Live Oak Bank, to break down the key areas advisors should consider before they enter the 2023 mergers and acquisitions environment.
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Topics:
Acquisition,
M&A,
Business Value,
Deal Structure,
Financing,
Bank Financing,
Buying & Selling,
State of the Market,
Next Generation,
Valuation & Appraisal,
"Buying, Selling, and Valuing Financial Practices",
Sell and Stay™,
Trends
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LLC vs. Corporation. Which entity structure fits your goals?
Understanding your specific needs and specific goals is an important first step of the entity-building process. As Rod Boutin, JD, General Counsel at FP Transitions outlined in a recent webinar, “it is important that we build an entity that clearly identifies and promotes your attainment of those goals. Done right, an entity is a tool to align with your goals.”
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Topics:
Succession Planning,
Organizational Structure,
Business Growth,
Tip of the Week,
State of the Market,
Exit Planning,
Next Generation,
Sustainability,
Wealth Management,
Valuation & Appraisal,
Business Operations
2021 is just about behind us, and 2022 is knocking at the door. What are the 2022 trends in the financial planning advisory space that we consult? We had an opportunity to ask our experts what they see in their respective crystal balls...
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Topics:
Selling Your Practice,
Acquisition,
Multi-Generational Ownership,
M&A,
Business Value,
Deal Structure,
Financing,
Bank Financing,
Buying & Selling,
State of the Market,
Mergers,
Tax Regulations,
Building Your Team,
Valuation & Appraisal,
Transactions,
Trends
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KPIs, or Key Performance Indicators
During a recent webinar hosted by FP Transitions, several attendees had questions about KPIs. Marcus Hagood Director of Equity Management System at FP Transitions, and Mike McKennon, EMS Consultant at FPT, had previously hosted a webinar on KPIs, and many of those key points are featured in the following post.
Knowing the KPIs
The industry is flush with discussions of KPIs. Surely, you’ve heard the term before, or perhaps seen these indexes described as performance metrics, key variables or key success indicators. At FP Transitions, we use the term Key Performance Indicator; but ultimately, the data these terms convey is the same. KPIs are a unit of measurement leveraged to help you determine where your business is at, where you want to go, and will ultimately provide you with a road map of how you should proceed on your journey.
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Topics:
Webcasts,
Business Growth,
Tip of the Week,
Deal Structure,
State of the Market,
Sustainability,
Benchmarking,
Valuation & Appraisal,
Business Operations
We're pleased to announce that FP Transitions was named one of CFO Tech Outlook's Top 10 Valuation Service Companies of 2021, recognizing FP Transitions' efforts and placing our team at "the forefront of providing Valuation consulting services and transforming businesses."
The publication accolades were accompanied by an article: "FP Transitions: Providing Comprehensive Valuation Services," featuring our Ryan Grau, CVA, CBA, Partner and VP of Business Valuation Services. The full text of which can be viewed below or by clicking here.
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Topics:
Business Value,
FPT in the News,
Benchmarking,
Valuation & Appraisal

Experienced business owners recognize the importance of tracking and monitoring the value of their practice over time. They know their practice is their most valuable asset, and by valuing it, they are empowered to grow, protect, and realize the value they have built.
Following are ten situations where it’s essential to have a current value and accurate understanding of your business.
1. Increase Value
To cultivate growth and increase the value of your business, you need to have a starting point—a place to grow from. An accurate and comprehensive valuation will identify value drivers and growth opportunities, allowing you to create an informed growth strategy and make changes that will improve performance. The ability to track those changes and the value of the practice year after year enables you to see your progress and ensure your growth is on target
2. Benchmark Your Business
Tracking your value year after year allows for accurate benchmarking of the business. A thorough benchmarking report will look at your business and compare it to similar-sized businesses in the market, evaluating your company’s standing against the competition. Benchmarking reports reveal how your business stacks up against your peers as well as against leaders in the industry.
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Topics:
Succession Planning,
Acquisition,
Business Growth,
Business Value,
Benchmarking,
Valuation & Appraisal

The value of your practice is determined by many factors, some obvious, and some not so obvious. Even if the idea of exiting the business is far down the road, as an owner you need to consider the ten factors below as part of managing and growing the practice. Focusing on these areas can make a major difference in your book’s sustainability and its eventual purchase price (when transition time arrives).
The purpose of this article is not to review the theoretical aspects valuation or create an exhaustive list of factors that influence your value. That would be a much longer, technical article–which can be viewed here. The point here is to highlight the drivers that can help give your value an extra boost in the right direction. These factors include:
- Predictable revenue and recurring revenue streams
- Client demographics
- Average client tenure
- Size of potential market
- Transition timing
- Client affluence and average client revenue
- Asset or revenue concentration
- Use and structure of referral fees
- Length of surrender period
- Profitability
As you look at your practice with an outsider’s eye, you will see avenues that help grow the business and make it more robust.
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Topics:
Business Growth,
Business Value,
Buying & Selling,
Sustainability,
Benchmarking,
Valuation & Appraisal

Success in any endeavor comes from a combination of luck, timing, and strategy. If your goal is to grow your practice, acquire another firm, or build a legacy with your financial advisory business, developing the right strategy is crucial to your success. In Sun Tzu’s The Art of War – often cited as the canon of business and military tactics – understanding your unique strengths and weaknesses compared to your competitors’ is the foundation of a successful strategy.
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Topics:
Business Value,
Benchmarking,
Valuation & Appraisal