Who We Serve
We pride ourselves on working with independent business owners in any industry and can provide the guidance you need. Here are a handful of different industries of small business owners we've worked with and areas that we specialize in:
- Lumber & Building Materials
- Hardware & Home Centers
- Medical & Dental Practices
- Law Firms
- Education Consultants
- Commercial Printers
- Architects and Interior Design
- Manufacturing
- Real Estate Agents and Brokers
- Engineering
- Publishing
- Science & Technology
- Paint, Sign Manufacturing, Advertising, & Design
Overview of Stratus Service Offerings
Below are the four primary ways that we engage clients to help them with valuation, succession planning, retirement planning, and asset management. However, our goal is to work with your specific needs, so your engagement may look different than what is presented below.
Business Valuation Only*
How Do We Price These Engagements?
Valuation engagements are priced on the complexity of the client’s business structure, operations, and finances. Valuation engagements are billed 50% upon signing the agreement and 50% when the final draft is delivered.
Services Provided: We provide valuations for numerous client goals, including succession planning, M&A, estate and gift tax, and corporate restructuring.
Our engagement process includes:
- Document Collection and Review
- On-Site Visit (if applicable)
- Coordination with Owner’s Other Advisors (e.g., CPA, Financial Advisor)
- Ongoing Meetings with Management
- Draft and Final Valuation Reports
- 2-3 Areas to Focus on to Increase Business Value
*Successive valuations, if needed, typically cost less than the original valuation because Stratus already knows your business and has already built the models to analyze its value.
Succession Planning
How Do We Price These Engagements?
We charge a monthly retainer depending on the complexity of the client’s business and their personal and professional goals. Succession planning engagements are typically completed over the course of several years, with an initial 6-month engagement that sets the foundation for the multi-year ownership transition process. However, we can adapt our fees and planning timelines to meet your needs.
Services Provided:
- Complete Business Valuation (including Valuation Report and areas to focus on to increase value)
- Retirement Plan Cash Flow Analysis (Can your business value plus your non-business assets fund your retirement goals?)
- Review of Current Business and Estate Legal Documents
- Creation of Succession Plan that focuses on maximizing business value, diversifying net worth outside the business, targeting strategies to meet retirement goals, mitigating taxes during the ownership transition, and making sure legal documents are in place to protect the Owner, the Owner’s family, and the business.
- Implementation and coordination of the Succession Plan along with the Owner’s other advisors (CPA, attorney, banker, financial advisor, etc.). Ongoing discussions with owner, management, and prospective buyer(s) to adjust the plan as needed. Updated valuations as needed for gifting and final sale.
Personal Financial Planning
How Do We Price These Engagements?
We charge a flat fee depending on the complexity of the client’s net worth and their personal and professional goals. Clients who engage us for personal financial plans have the choice to be billed either one-half upon signing the agreement and one-half when the final plan is delivered or 100% upfront.
Services Provided: We provide financial planning services to business owners, families, and individuals.
Our engagement process includes:
- Discussion of the personal and professional goals of the owner and their family
- Analysis of asset portfolio and asset allocation of investment accounts
- Analysis of liabilities (e.g., mortgage) and cash flow
- Analysis of retirement income strategies
- Creation of a complete Personal Financial Plan with the findings and recommendations from our analysis
Asset Management
How Do We Price These Engagements?
Based on total personal and/or employer-sponsored retirement plan assets managed by Stratus. Billing is done quarterly based on the account value as of the last trading day of the quarter.
Services Provided for Individual Accounts, Joint Accounts, and Trusts:
- Create personalized portfolios based on the financial planning goals of the client
- Monitor the portfolios to make sure they are within the client’s risk tolerance parameters and make adjustments if needed
- Coordination with client’s CPA and estate attorneys to make sure we are being tax efficient and protecting the client and their family
- Coordination with client’s insurance broker to make sure we have the proper risk management strategy
- Ongoing updates to the client’s financial plan
- Available for conversations with the client or their family at any time
If you have any questions regarding any of our service offerings, please don't hesitate to contact us!