Planning Strategies for Business Owners
Your business is more than a source of income. It may be your largest asset, your retirement plan, your family legacy, and a key part of your long-term financial security.
Review My Business Strategy →Business Planning and Personal Planning Should Work Together.
For incorporated professionals, entrepreneurs, and small business owners, financial planning is rarely just personal. Corporate cash flow, tax planning, insurance, succession, retirement income, and estate planning are all connected.
The GMFSI Business Owners Centre helps identify key planning opportunities and risks across your business and personal financial life.
Planning Areas We Review
- Corporate investment and retained earnings strategy
- Shareholder and family wealth planning
- Key person, buy-sell, and business continuity insurance
- Group benefits and executive compensation planning
- Tax-efficient retirement income from a corporation
- Succession, estate, and business exit planning
Key Business Owner Strategies
Strong business planning protects your company, your income, your family, and your long-term wealth.
Corporate Investing
Review retained earnings, corporate cash flow, investment structure, and tax-efficient accumulation strategies.
Key Person Protection
Protect the business against the financial impact of losing a key owner, employee, or revenue generator.
Buy-Sell Planning
Coordinate insurance and shareholder agreements to help fund ownership transitions after death, disability, or exit.
Group Benefits
Design employee benefit plans that balance cost control, recruitment, retention, and employee wellness.
Executive Planning
Coordinate insurance, retirement savings, compensation, and long-term planning for owners and key executives.
Succession Planning
Prepare for retirement, family transition, business sale, or gradual exit from active ownership.
Your team is part of your business plan.
Considering employee benefits for the first time? Explore the questions that help shape a practical starting plan.
Business Planning Priorities
The right strategy depends on your business structure, cash flow, family situation, retirement timeline, and long-term goals.
| Planning Area | Purpose | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Corporate Investments | Build wealth inside the corporation | Coordinates retained earnings, taxes, risk, and retirement income |
| Life Insurance | Protect family, partners, and business value | Can support estate, debt, buy-sell, and liquidity planning |
| Disability & Critical Illness | Protect income and business continuity | Helps protect cash flow if illness or injury interrupts work |
| Group Benefits | Support employees and owner benefits | Improves retention, recruitment, and workplace wellness |
| Retirement Strategy | Convert business success into retirement income | Coordinates salary, dividends, RRSPs, TFSAs, and corporate assets |
| Succession & Estate | Transfer or exit the business | Helps prepare for sale, family transition, tax exposure, and legacy goals |
Who This Centre Is Designed For
Business-owner planning is especially important when business and personal finances overlap.
Explore Related Planning Centres
Business-owner planning connects naturally with tax planning, insurance, investments, retirement income, and group benefits.
Turn Business Success Into Long-Term Financial Security
A coordinated business-owner strategy can help protect your company, strengthen cash flow, support your employees, reduce planning gaps, and connect your business success with your personal financial goals.
Start My Business Owner Review →Information is general in nature and should not be considered tax, legal, accounting, or business valuation advice. Please consult qualified professionals regarding your specific situation.
Business Owner Toolkit Premium V2.0
Review the financial foundations of the business, including owner protection, key-person risk, employee benefits, cash reserves, debt, succession, tax coordination, retirement planning, and the relationship between business and personal wealth.
Business Owner Inputs
Enter the high-level business information and score each planning area from 1 to 5.
Investment strategy
See where you are.
Choose where to go.
Enter the dollar value of what you own today. The tool converts those holdings into percentages automatically, so you can compare them with a recommended target.
Today
Current Portfolio
Recommended
Target Portfolio
Simple guide
Four steps. One clear comparison.
Enter current values
Type the current dollar value for each asset category. Enter zero when the client does not own that category.
Review the percentages
The current portfolio total and percentage allocation are calculated automatically as you type.
Set the target
Enter the recommended percentage for each category. The target should add up to exactly 100%.
Compare the mix
Use the two charts to discuss how the proposed portfolio differs from the client’s current holdings.
Illustrative planning tool only. A recommendation should reflect the client’s objectives, time horizon, risk tolerance, and circumstances.
Reference portfolios
Four model portfolios.
Illustrative reference points—not automatic recommendations.
Preserve
Conservative
Stabilize
Balanced
Accelerate
Advanced
Maximize
Aggressive
Model portfolios are provided for comparison and education. Confirm suitability before using any allocation as a recommendation.
What Could Your Savings Provide in Retirement?
Explore how your current savings, ongoing contributions, investment return and retirement timeline may shape your future portfolio and potential retirement income.
- ✓ Project your future savings
- ✓ Estimate retirement income
- ✓ Compare inflation-adjusted values
Start With Your Financial Wellness Snapshot
Answer a few focused questions and receive an educational snapshot of your financial readiness across protection, retirement, investments, cash flow, estate planning and tax planning.
- ✓ Personalized score
- ✓ Suggested focus areas
- ✓ Confidential and educational
- ✓ No obligation
Your Financial Starting Point
Complete the assessment in just a few minutes.
Start My Wellness CheckSee Your Financial Future Before You Retire
Retirement planning is about more than reaching a savings target. Explore the kinds of personalized projections that can bring your retirement income, investments, taxes, CPP, OAS, real estate, insurance and estate objectives together in one coordinated picture.
Start on This Page
Discover how coordinated financial planning can help bring greater clarity to your retirement decisions.
Explore Retirement Projections
See examples of the income, taxation, cash-flow, net-worth and estate projections that may be considered.
Visit the Financial Planning Centre
Learn how retirement planning fits within a broader, coordinated financial strategy.
Begin With a Clarity Session
Discuss your goals, questions and priorities during a no-obligation 15-Minute Clarity Session.
Gain confidence before making
your next financial decision.
Whether you’re planning for retirement, investing for the future, protecting your family, or simply looking for greater financial clarity, every successful plan begins with one conversation.
Choose how you’d like to get started:
Choose Your Planning Journey
Select the planning area that best matches your current needs and begin with a focused, confidential assessment.
Every form is interactive, confidential, and followed by a personalized review from Green Mountain Financial Services Inc.
Partners & Carriers We Work With
Independent access to multiple leading insurers across Canada.
Visit Assumption Life
Visit Foresters Financial
Visit Humania Assurance
Visit Canada Protection Plan
Visit Industrial Alliance
Visit Sun Life Financial
Visit Desjardins Financial Security
Visit Canada Life
Visit Empire Life
Visit RBC Insurance
Visit Equitable Life of Canada
Visit Manulife Financial
Visit Beneva Insurance
Visit Green Shield Canada
Visit Assumption Life
Visit Foresters Financial
Visit Humania Assurance
Visit Canada Protection Plan
Visit Industrial Alliance
Visit Sun Life Financial
Visit Desjardins Financial Security
Visit Canada Life
Visit Empire Life
Visit RBC Insurance
Visit Equitable Life of Canada
Visit Manulife Financial
Visit Beneva Insurance
Visit Green Shield Canada