Tailored Financial Planning and Wealth Management for Entrepreneurs and Business Owners

As a business owner, you are no stranger to the intricacies of entrepreneurship. As your business grows, the clock ticks faster, and decisions weigh heavier. Amidst growth strategies and operational demands of the business, your personal financial well-being often takes a backseat.


Business owners and entrepreneurs face challenges including time constraints, tax complexity, cash flow juggling, benefits and retirement planning (for yourself and your employees), succession planning, valuation, investment options and more. At Buttonwood, we work with business owners and as such, understand these challenges intimately. Our tailored strategies bridge the gap between what you need to do to successfully run your business and your personal financial well-being.

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Understanding the Entrepreneur’s Financial Landscape

As the owner of your business, you wear many hats. Ultimately as the CEO you are also in charge of HR, Sales, Marketing, Compliance and more. Balancing your business with your personal wealth management is an ongoing challenge. Our Buttonwood Team owns and executes the list of items outside your business, bringing a clear vision for you and your family. We often provide solutions in the following areas:

Tax Complexity

Business owners grapple with corporate taxes, deductions, tax credits, and compliance. Simultaneously, they must optimize their business taxes to fit within their personal tax strategies. Navigating this complex web of tax law can be overwhelming without the right Team in your court. 

Risk Management

Business ventures inherently involve risk. Entrepreneurs must assess and mitigate risks related to their business while safeguarding personal assets. Balancing risk appetite for business expansion with personal financial security requires specific strategy.

Cash Flow Juggling

Business cash flows directly impact personal finances. Uneven revenue cycles, unexpected expenses, and capital expenditures impact everything. Striking a balance between investing in your business and building your personal balance sheet is crucial – we can assist. 

Investment Dilemmas

Business profits become investment capital and every day you have a decision to make between reinvesting in your business, diversifying into other ventures, or building your personal investment portfolio. These decisions are often more impactful when they include professional input. 

Employee Benefits and Retirement Planning

Balancing business growth with long-term personal financial security is a delicate act. Every dollar invested in or outside your business has an opportunity cost. Balancing business reinvestment with personal aspirations is a perpetual puzzle that our Team pieces together every day. 

Succession Planning 

Entrepreneurs often dream of legacy businesses. Planning for business continuity – whether selling to the next generation or a third party – requires strategic foresight. Simultaneously, you must consider tax implications, whether you will remain a part of the business, what does the business look like under new leadership and so much more. 

Risk Management and Insurance Solutions


At Buttonwood Financial Group, we work with entrepreneurs and business owners to identify and manage risks unique to their business and personal wealth. 

Identifying and Managing Risks

We work with you to understand your business and personal finances, identify potential risks, and develop strategies to manage them effectively. Risks range from market volatility affecting your investments, to operational risks in your business.

Business Owner Insurance Solutions

Insurance is a key component of risk management. We are not an insurance broker and are not compensated by commissions. We do work with multiple firms who provide tailored insurance solutions focused on the specific needs of business owners. Our goal is to ensure you, as a business owner, are adequately paired with the right firm and thus protected against both known and possibly unforeseen events.

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Retirement and Succession Planning


Planning for retirement and succession is crucial for entrepreneurs and business owners. At Buttonwood Financial Group, we offer comprehensive services to get you prepared for these important transitions. 

Succession Planning

Who’s next? We work with you to think through, identify and develop future leadership crucial for business continuity. We can assist in creating a succession plan that targets a smooth transition, minimizes disruptions to your business, and aligns with your personal and business goals. 

Retirement Planning

We understand that as a business owner, your personal finances are intertwined with your business. We work with you to create a retirement cash flow strategy that not only provides for your personal needs, but also considers the impact on your business. 

Tax Planning and Efficiency


Effective tax planning is a critical aspect for entrepreneurs and business owners. In conjunction with your CPA or through our trusted network of tax professionals, we offer strategic tax planning services tailored to your unique needs. 

Tax Minimization Strategies

Our Team works closely with you to identify tax-saving opportunities and implement strategies that align with your business and personal financial goals. These may include: 

  • Tax Loss Harvesting: We proactively manage traditional stock and bond investments to take advantage of tax loss harvest opportunities as they occur. These strategies can help offset taxes for both capital gains and income. Investments sold are replaced, maintaining an optimal asset allocation and targeting expected returns. 
  • Deduction / Depreciation Planning: We’ll review potential deductions, tax credits and depreciation opportunities that can help reduce your tax liability. 
  • Investment Tax Planning: We implement strategies for tax-efficient investing, such as the use of tax-free municipal bonds, Roth IRA’s or other appropriate options.
  • Business Decisions & Tax Implications: Many business decisions have potential tax implications. Whether considering a new investment, a business expansion, or a succession plan, we can provide direction around possible tax implications.

Estate Planning for Entrepreneurs

By default your estate strategy is more complex as a business owner, as it includes both your personal and business assets. Our Team works with your estate planning attorney, or with one of the attorneys in our trusted network to ensure the efficient transfer of your wealth and business through Will and trust planning, business succession planning, business entity planning, asset protection trusts, and more.

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Success in Action: Our Approach to Supporting Entrepreneurs and Business Owners

Tailored Solutions For You & Your Business

We holistically understand the unique financial challenges you face as a business owner. Our approach is tailored to address these specific challenges and support your success. We believe in comprehensive services focused around experience, expertise, personalized service, integrated financial planning, and proactive support through life and business’ transitions.

Getting Started With Our Services

Understanding Your Goals

Beginning your journey with Buttonwood Financial Group is straight forward. We take the perspective of a CFO, as we begin with a conversation, completely obligation-free, where we will talk about your overall objectives as well as about what you both enjoy, and don’t enjoy doing in both your business and personal life. Following our conversation, we'll develop a personalized outline of tailored strategies we would recommend implementing to address each of the items discussed.


Our objective with this process is to understand the complexities you are experiencing and illustrate, with examples, how we would address each item. If this process and our strategies make sense, we will have you sign a letter of engagement, and we will begin to implement on your behalf. You will have a clear roadmap and the technology to track our progress along the way.


Fostering A Continuous Relationship

Once we have begun to implement, we will continue to learn, advance and develop our strategy. We believe in building a lifelong partnership, offering ongoing support and proactive management of both your personal and business finances. This includes regular meetings to review progress, adjusting strategies as needed, and ensuring you're on track to meet your financial objectives. With Buttonwood Financial Group by your side, you can rest assured you have a trusted partner dedicated to your financial well-being every step of the way.


Contact us today for your introductory conversation or call at 816-285-9000. 

FAQs for Entrepreneurs and Business Owners

  • How can I separate my personal and business finances?

    It’s important to keep your personal and business finances separate for tax and legal reasons. This can be done by opening separate bank accounts, using a business credit card, and keeping track of business expenses separately. Our Team can assist you to develop this infrastructure! 

  • What is the best way to plan for taxes as a business owner?

    Tax planning is a year-round activity for business owners. It involves understanding your tax obligations, taking advantage of tax deductions and credits, and making decisions that can minimize your tax liability. Working with a financial professional to manage taxes allows you to focus on running your business. 

  • How can I protect my personal assets from business risks?

    One way to protect personal assets is by using a business entity, like a limited liability company (LLC) or a corporation. These entities, when managed correctly, can provide legal separation between you and your business. In addition, adequate insurance coverage can be a key component to risk management.

  • How should I plan for retirement as a business owner?

    Retirement planning for business owners is complex as many business owners have the majority of their assets tied up in the business! As such, retirement from the business often involves planning for the succession or sale of the business. Strategies can include cash flow management and using profits to establish and fund a retirement account, investing business profits outside your business into a diversified portfolio, and creating a business succession and or sale strategy. 

  • What is estate planning and why is it important for business owners?

    Estate planning involves deciding and documenting how your assets will be distributed after your death. For business owners, it also involves planning for the eventual transfer of the business. If you don’t have a Will or Trust, you do have an estate plan; it is defined by each State where you own assets and is the law of intestacy. Many people find they disagree with how the Government would distribute their assets, so they choose to document their decisions using plan that matches their personal wishes. 

  • How can I ensure the continuity of my business after I’m gone?

    Business continuity can be ensured through proper succession and estate planning. Operating Agreements, By laws and other core business operating documents are important to not only adopt and have on file, but to regularly review and update as changes take place over time. If your business is missing any of these documents, or it has been a while since they have been reviewed, our Team stands ready to assist.