A Holistic Approach
We Are - Our History
20 years ago, Protelum Advisors began as a boutique Merger & Acquisition (M&A) firm with the sole purpose of assisting owners in the sale of their business. As a young firm, we saw firsthand what the statistics now show – 80% of businesses don’t sell due to improper planning by the business owner!
Throughout years of business, we were continually being asked to recommend tax advice, financing alternatives, wealth management strategies and more. Yet, too often the lack of a complete exit plan delayed or completely halted the sale of a business. As a recent study by PriceWaterHouseCoopers concluded, those owners fortunate enough to sell were profoundly dissatisfied within the first twelve months after a sale. Imagine learning three months after the sale of your business that a different tax strategy could have virtually eliminated your tax liability!
Left with the knowledge that their business and personal exit strategies were not adequate, owners have been forced to navigate the burdensome and confusing steps that accompany a comprehensive exit strategy. Unfortunately, the individual results of owners have been dismal.
Business Owners Are Not Prepared:
- 75% don’t have any kind of exit plan
- Only 25% have done any financial planning
- Two-thirds do not know all their exit options
- 78% have no transition team, 83% have no written transition plan, 49% have no plan at all.
- 40% have no plan to cover the 5 D’s (Death, Disability, Distress, Divorce, Disagreement)
- 86% have not completed a strategic review or a value growth project
Even those owners that realize a plan needs to be implemented, often fail to understand that planning needs to begin three to five years prior to a transition of the business.
Today, Protelum Advisors meets this great need of business owners, by offering a comprehensive and holistic approach to the business transition process. Through years as a leading M&A firm, our experience has grown to include virtually every transition strategy, including ESOP’s, sale to management (MBO), generational transfers, minority and majority equity sales, and others.
We are specialists in managing the exit planning process, business valuation, and M&A services. Our legal partners in estate planning, tax and transaction attorneys is unmatched as is our team of wealth advisors, insurance experts, fiduciaries, banking executives and capital sources. Beyond financial and legal advisors, our family dynamics partners are experts in blended family dynamics and family transition coaching.
Analyzing all the business, personal, financial, legal and tax implications of a transition is essential to exiting on your terms. We use a defined and proven process to identify needed areas of improvement and establish clear-cut action plans to quickly accomplish goals.
Formed by the Exit Planning Institute (EPI), the CEPA designation is the most recognized certification in the Exit Planning industry and is the only designation recognized by FINRA and many other Fortune 500 financial service organizations.
Protelum Advisors developed an exceptional ability in advising owners of mid-market companies. When tasked with taking a business to market, the company excels in attracting strategic buyers from around the globe and the company has successfully sold small and mid-market businesses to public companies located on the New York Stock Exchange, Toronto Stock Exchange, Johannesburg Stock Exchange, Over The Counter Markets, and American Stock Exchanges.
Tim holds a Master of Science degree in Corporate Finance and holds the following profession designations:
- Merger & Acquisition Master Intermediary (M&AMI)
- Accredited Senior Appraiser (ASA)
- Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA)
Tim was a founding board member of the Exit Planning Institutes (EPI), San Diego Chapter. The EPI is an educational organization developed to assist business owners in developing transition strategies to maximize their transition goals.
We Are - a Team
pro·tel·um \: (protelum)
Noun, Latin for:
- team or tandem, 2. series, succession
At the heart of every engagement is our concept of Protelum. The Latin word drives our strategy and captures the essence of exit planning – the need for a team to accomplish a succession.
Protelum is our proprietary method of enlisting a specialized team to achieve a coordinated succession that is customized specifically to you.
Our Protelum model utilizes key advisors only where they are needed and does not disrupt your existing relationships. The Protelum methodology provides for your current advisors being incorporated into the big picture of the exit strategy.
One key feature of our Protelum partners is that you are never limited in your advisor selection. Since an advisor must fit personally, as well as technically, we partner with many different specialists – leaving our team, and your options endless.