Business Owners in Vancouver
Financial Planning for Business Owners in Vancouver
Comprehensive fee-for-service financial planning for Vancouver business owners, covering holding companies, succession planning, corporate investing, tax optimization, and the financial complexity that comes with owning a successful private business.
Business owners face a financial planning challenge that most advisors aren't equipped to handle: the majority of your net worth is tied up in a single illiquid asset (the business. The decisions you make inside that business have tax consequences that ripple through your personal finances for decades. How you pay yourself, how you hold retained earnings, whether you need a holding company, how you protect the business from personal liability, and how you eventually exit) these are interconnected decisions that need to be planned as a system. That's what Ocean 6 does for business owners.
Where We Add Value
The Problems We Solve for Business Owners
01
Concentration risk, most of your wealth is in one asset
A business owner with a $3M company has 80–90% of their net worth in a single illiquid, unhedgeable position. We help you build a financial plan that progressively diversifies wealth out of the business while you're still running it, so you're not entirely dependent on a successful sale to fund retirement.
02
Maximizing the Lifetime Capital Gains Exemption
The LCGE allows the first $1.25M of capital gains on qualifying small business shares to be received tax-free. Qualifying requires advance planning: the shares must be QSBC shares at the time of sale, which has specific requirements around asset composition and holding periods. Estate freeze structures, family trusts, and share restructuring can multiply the exemption across family members. None of this can be done at closing, it requires years of setup.
03
Holding company strategy
A holding company receives dividends from your operating company tax-free and holds assets protected from the operating risks of the business. The holdco can own investments, real estate, life insurance policies, and shares in other companies. We analyze whether a holdco makes sense in your situation and ensure it's integrated into your estate plan properly.
04
Key-person insurance and buy-sell agreements
If you have a business partner, what happens if one of you dies or becomes disabled? Without a properly funded buy-sell agreement, the surviving partner may be forced into business with a deceased partner's estate. We advise on buy-sell structures, funding mechanisms, and how corporate-owned insurance integrates with the shareholder agreement your lawyer will draft.
05
Exit planning, the biggest financial event of your life
A business sale is typically the largest financial transaction a business owner will ever execute. The difference between a well-planned exit and an unplanned one can be millions of dollars in tax. Share vs. asset sale analysis, corporate purification, estate freeze timing, LCGE multiplication, and investment strategy for post-sale proceeds all need to be in place well before you go to market.
06
Succession, family or third-party?
Transitioning a business to a family member is fundamentally different from selling to a third party. Family succession involves estate freeze structures, gift vs. sale analysis, gradual transfer of control, and often family dynamics that complicate what should be financial decisions. We model the financial outcomes of each path and coordinate with your lawyer and accountant to structure the transition properly.
Our Clients
The Business Owners We Work With
We typically work with owner-operators at companies generating $500K–$10M in annual revenue, with meaningful retained earnings and a 3–15 year horizon before a potential exit.
Owner-Operators
Founders and sole owners running profitable businesses with accumulated retained earnings. The primary challenge is usually building wealth outside the business while maintaining sufficient capital inside it for operations and growth.
Business Partners
Equal or unequal partners in a business with shared ownership. Key planning issues include buy-sell agreement funding, equalization of estates, and ensuring both partners' financial plans are coordinated even when personal situations differ.
Pre-Exit Business Owners
Owners within 3–7 years of a planned sale or transition. The planning priority is qualifying for LCGE, multiplying the exemption across family members, and ensuring the corporate structure is ready for a buyer's due diligence.
Post-Exit Business Owners
Business owners who have recently sold and are managing $2M–$10M+ in after-tax proceeds for the first time. The challenge is making sound investment decisions and building a sustainable income plan without the structure of a business to organize finances around.
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I start exit planning?
Earlier than you think. The LCGE requires shares to qualify as QSBC shares with a 24-month holding period and specific asset tests throughout that period. Family trust structures to multiply the exemption take time to establish and need to be in place well before a sale. An estate freeze should be implemented while business value is still within the freeze amount. If you're thinking about a sale in the next 5–7 years, the planning conversation should start now. If you're 2–3 years out, there's still meaningful value to be captured, but some options will be off the table.
Should I sell shares or assets?
A share sale is almost always better for the seller (capital gains taxed at lower rates, potential LCGE), and an asset sale is almost always preferred by the buyer (higher tax deductions, no assumption of liabilities). In practice, the deal structure depends on negotiating leverage. We model both scenarios so you understand the after-tax economics of each and can negotiate from an informed position. We also work with your accountant and lawyer to optimize the outcome if you have flexibility in the structure.
What is an estate freeze and do I need one?
An estate freeze is a corporate reorganization that "freezes" the current value of your shares in your hands and causes all future growth to accrue to new shareholders, typically a family trust or your adult children. The purpose is twofold: limiting future tax liability in your estate, and enabling LCGE multiplication by ensuring shares held by the trust are also eligible for the exemption at sale. Whether you need one depends on your business value, estate goals, family situation, and timeline. It's a significant structural transaction worth analyzing carefully rather than implementing reflexively.
How much does financial planning for a business owner cost?
Ocean 6 charges a flat annual retainer rather than a percentage of assets under management. For business owners, fees typically range from $5,000–$15,000 per year depending on complexity, number of entities, proximity to exit, insurance needs, and ongoing advisory scope. This covers your financial plan, annual compensation optimization, insurance review, coordination with your accountant and lawyer, and ongoing access to the team. See our pricing page for full detail, or book a discovery call to get a specific estimate.
If your business is structured as a professional corporation (a law firm, consulting practice, or any regulated profession) our page for incorporated professionals covers the additional passive income rules, salary vs. dividends nuances, and LCGE considerations that apply specifically to professional corporations.
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