OWL 715: Key Employee Incentive Plans - Why You Need Them and Critical Design Elements

Read the 5-minute summary for this episode and many others at owl.ceo. The OWL (Owner Wisdom Library) turns insights from more than 1,200 Exit Coach Radio interviews into short, practical lessons for business owners on growth, leadership, operations, and exit planning. Dyanne Ross-Hanson, Founder of Exit Planning Strategies, LLC, works with owners of privately held businesses to develop intentional ownership transition plans. She started Exit Planning Strategies, LLC, 10 years ago and has 30+ years of experience in the financial services industry. This work is Dyanne’s passion, and she considers objective expert consulting, independent of predetermined outcome or product, to be absolutely essential in exit planning. The sale of a business can be the single most significant financial event in someone’s life, the business owner needs to be prepared.  In her interview, Dyanne reasons that exit planning is not a single event, but rather a process. Without a plan, business owners who have put years of effort into their livelihood are leaving the transaction up to chance. She deep dives the notion that the most valuable component of the transaction are the key employees. Additionally, she shares valuable strategies for incentivizing key employees to stay post-transfer. Dyanne also discusses the difference between key employees and employees in key positions, which are not always the same thing. Twenty minutes is barely enough time to scratch the surface of Dyanne’s expertise.