Resources for financial planning
with business owners
Trends and Insights
from the RISR database
Every day, financial advisors are utilizing RISR to serve business owners, capturing data around how the most effective advisors engage, plan, and build trust with this critical client segment.
Through that work, we’ve built a proprietary dataset of real business owner cases, giving us a unique lens into what’s actually happening beneath the surface: what owners care about, where complexity shows up, and how leading advisors are navigating it.
We continue to find that the most valuable clients are likely already in your book, and the skills most needed are the ones you already rely on every day—deep listening, clarifying priorities, and guiding clients towards what matters most.
Percentage of Business Owners by Investable Assets
“Business owner assets are tied up in their business”
In reality, the wealthiest clients need business-owner focused advice. The more investable assets a household has, the more likely it is they own a business.
- Mass Affluent ($250k – $1M): 41% own a business
- HNW ($1M – $5M): 55% own a business
- UHNW ($5M+): 83% own a business
“Only business owners preparing to retire are looking for deeper services from their advisors.”
In reality, business owners of all ages are ready for deeper financial planning. The most valuable planning conversations begin well before the exit itself, and the best time to start these conversations is now.
Source: RISR data on thousands of financial planning cases with business owners
Age of Business Owners
First Priority During Exit
“Business owners have competing exit priorities”
Once financial value is secured, owners are looking for freedom. Owners want to maximize value, and exit cleanly. Advisors must be ready to help both financial strategy and exit readiness.
Source: RISR data on thousands of planning cases with business owners
Advisor Spotlight
“We bring confidence to our business owner clients by quantifying their business’s current valuation, identify key risks, and establishing a clear growth path toward their target exit value. It gives owners confidence that they are considering all aspects of the transition. This strengthens both their business strategy and our advisory relationship!”
Brianna March
Financial Advisor
Ed Barnes
Financial Advisor
“Exit planning is mostly about price”
Once financial value is secured, owners are looking for freedom. Owners want to maximize value, and exit cleanly. Advisors must be ready to help both financial strategy and exit readiness.
Source: RISR data on thousands of planning cases with business owners
Second Priority During Exit
Third Priority During Exit
“After price and timing are settled, the rest of the exit is straightforward.”
For many owners, the next priority is preserving the legacy of what they built.
- Advisors who understand both the financial and emotional sides of exit planning build deeper relationships with business owners.
- A successful exit balances financial outcomes with personal priorities, and the best advisors become trusted partners in one of the biggest decisions of the owner’s life.
Source: RISR data on thousands of planning cases with business owners
Business owners want holistic financial advice
The most valuable advice doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Advisors that can show owners how their business fits into their life plan provide deeper services and build trust. Making financial planning for owners more business-centric is how stronger client relationships are built.
Of business owners surveyed want financial advice that considers both business and personal needs
Advisor Spotlight
“RISR gave us a clear, data-backed valuation that was instrumental in structuring a buy-sell agreement, helped the business owner gain confidence in their next steps, and led to an additional $30 million in AUM.”
Paul Emrick
Principal, NewEdge Advisors
Ideal Exit Path
“Business owners already know how they plan to exit”
Nearly half are open to exploring exit options. Advisors who can guide exit decisions become trusted partners long before the transaction. There is enormous opportunity for advisors who can support owners in evaluating their decisions.
Source: RISR data on thousands of financial planning cases with business owners
57% of owners have no protection in the event of death, disability, or dispute
Most business owners lack a buy-sell arrangement and funding in place, leaving their business and family exposed to significant risk.
Source: RISR data on thousands of financial planning cases with business owners
Do you have a buy-sell arrangement and funding in place?
When was your buy-sell agreement last reviewed?
71% of buy-sell agreements need review
Even among owners who have a buy-sell agreement, the vast majority haven’t reviewed it recently enough to ensure it reflects current business value and ownership changes.
Source: RISR data on thousands of financial planning cases with business owners
“Exit planning is far away for most business owners”
53% of business owners are planning to exit in the next 10 years. Exit planning is an essential part of serving business owner clients, and a massive wave of transitions is coming.
Source: RISR data on thousands of financial planning cases with business owners
Time to Exit
Of family business owners say a formal succession plan is critical for business continuity
Business owners already see the value in a holistic, up-to-date succession plan for continuity
84% of family business owners say a formal succession plan is critical for business continuity.
Business owners need holistic approaches to business and personal financial plans
82% of business owners surveyed look for ways to integrate personal goals with business planning.
Of business owners surveyed look for ways to integrate personal goals with business planning
We continue to see in the data is that business owners aren’t a niche, they’re everywhere. They’re often already in your book of business, especially among Mass Affluent and High Net Worth clients. And while their financial lives can be complex, the core of great advising hasn’t changed.
What’s been missing isn’t capability. It’s infrastructure.
Advisors need better tools to capture business data seamlessly, surface meaningful insights, and deliver tangible outputs that anchor planning conversations. That’s where RISR comes in—powering insightful financial planning for business owners so advisors can unlock deeper relationships and new growth within the clients they already serve.