Financial Planning for Business Owners

Our Process

  • Establishing our client-advisor engagement

  • Determining your goals and expectations

  • Clarifying your present situation and identifying any shortfalls, issues or opportunities

  • Reviewing & selecting options to cover your needs

  • Implementation

  • Monitoring your plan and making adjustments if necessary

Some of the biggest benefits of owning a business are the tax-savings opportunities available to small business owners (sole-proprietors, partnerships and incorporated businesses).

This starts with being able to claim for business some expenses that you would normally be paying for anyway (such as a reasonable part of your car expenses, your home office, cell phone, etc.).  It can also end with you being able to claim up to $406,800 tax-free from the sale of your “Qualified Small Business Corporation”.

You can also use your corporation to save on taxes for your medical & dental expenses (through the Personal Health Savings Plan), your Critical Illness Plan (with extra tax savings when paired with a Return of Premium rider), and your life insurance (that can be passed on with tax-savings through the CDA/Capital Dividend Account).

All it takes is some proactive planning – because the day before you file your tax return is just a little too late to take advantage of these benefits.

On the other hand, the biggest risk to a business is probably the death or illness of key personnel.

So if you or someone in your organization is key to keeping the business going, it’s essential to have solutions in place to help make sure your business can ride through the wave of a sudden serious accident, major illness, or death of that key person.

This can include not only disability, critical illness or life insurance, but also financial plans to support your back-up plans to keep your business operating and avoid losing your customers.

After all, when you’ve worked so hard to get through the beginning years, you really wouldn’t want unexpected circumstances to put your back to where you started – or worse, in major debt.

So call me for a review of your old business financial plan or if you’d like a fresh set of eyes on it.  I can also give you information on some not-so-common but can-be-very-effective tax-savings ideas that you can review with your business tax accountant (that he or she may not be quite familiar with).

Articles with Tax Savings & Business Continuity Ideas for your Small Business

Rules changed to allow more struggling business owners access to CERB, Wage Subsidy. Summer jobs program increased to 100%

A big win today for some small business owners who previously did not qualify for the $500/week Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) or the 75% Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS).

Help for Small/Medium Businesses & Entrepreneurs – 75% wage subsidy, $40,000 interest-free loan & more

March 27, 2019 - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced programs and measures focused on helping Small & Medium Sized Businesses and Entrepreneurs cope with the economic consequences caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. “With these new measures, our hope is that employers being pushed to laying off people due to COVID-19 will think again,” Trudeau said. “And for those of you who have already had to lay off workers, we hope you will re-hire them.”

2020 Financial Facts for Business Owners

2020 Financial Facts for Business Owners include Interest Rate, Corporate Tax Rates, Employment Insurance Premium Rates, CPP Contribution Rates, Corporate Investment, Income Tax Rate, Limits Insurance- Types that are needed, Lifetime Capital Gains Exemptions

2020 Financial Calendar

Financial Calendar for 2020- All the deadlines you need to know to maximize your benefits!

2018 Federal Budget Highlights for Business

The government’s 2018 federal budget focuses on a number of tax tightening measures for business owners. It introduces a new regime for holding passive investments inside a Canadian Controlled Private Corporation (CCPC). (Previously proposed in July 2017.)

BC Budget Highlights 2018

BC Finance Minister Carole James delivered the province's 2018 budget update on February 20, 2018. The budget anticipates a surplus of $219 million for the current year, $281 million for 2019 and $284 million in 2020.

BC Budget Update

BC Finance Minister Carole James delivered the province's 2017 budget update on Sept. 11, 2017. The budget anticipates a surplus of $46 million for the current year, $228 million in 2018-2019 and $257 million in 2019-2020. As a result of the provincial election on April 11, 2017, the measures previously announced were not fully enacted.

Federal Budget 2017: Business

Finance Minister Bill Morneau delivered the government’s 2017 federal budget on March 22, 2017. The budget expects a deficit of $23 billion for fiscal 2016-2017 and forecasts a deficit of $28.5 billion for 2017-2018. Learn what the budget means for small business owners.

The Corporate Estate Transfer

If you are the owner of a successful company it is likely that you have retained profits or surplus cash in your corporation. If this is the case, chances are also good that this invested surplus is exposed to a high rate of corporate income tax. If this describes your company then you may be a candidate for the Corporate Estate Transfer. This strategy provides tax sheltered growth as well as maximizing the estate value of your company upon your death.

BC Budget 2017

BC Finance Minister, Michael de Jong delivered the province's 2017 budget on Feb. 21, 2017. Learn what the budget means for small business owners and individuals.

Investing with a Safety Net

Investing in today’s environment is not for the faint of heart. However, fortunately for Canadians, Segregated Fund products offered by many life insurance companies provide a safety net for nervous investors.

TFSA or RRSP: What’s the difference?

RRSP or TFSA? What’s the difference? With the RRSP deadline around the corner, we’re here to help you figure out where you should invest.