Carrying your business
is an incredible
entrepreneurial feat.

Let us make the load a little lighter.

We work with founders and family-owned businesses to offer honest, experienced, and valuable counsel so you can confidently navigate what's next for your business and family.

For entrepreneurs, your passion is your business.

As entrepreneurs ourselves, we understand that business owners are wholly immersed in the success of their companies and often need someone to trust for honest, sound advice. As you navigate what’s next for your business, you may benefit from our experience and counsel to help you consider critical questions and pursue opportunities.

We help business owners parse through options to maximize outcomes. This way, you do not face challenging decisions alone and instead feel confident as you explore and decide what’s next for your business.

How do I raise debt and equity?

CAPITAL MARKETS ASSESSMENT

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To maximize value during a liquidity event it is essential to understand the major exit options available to business owners. The Balentine business advisory team is here to help you find the optimal capital structure for your business and help you reach your goals during any deal.

Should I sell my business?

SALE READINESS

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Before selling your business, you must consider why you want to sell and if it’s the right decision for you and your family. Once you decide to sell, we can help you prepare the right documents, team, and story to present to potential acquirers — to maximize the value you receive for your business.

Are best practices in place?

BOARD ADVISOR

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Whether you want to sell your business, pass it on to the next generation, or increase performance, we can help you establish and advise a board to ensure that your business is run according to best practices with our board advisory services.

How we've supported entrepreneurs

We tailor each of our engagements to support business owners based on their most pressing needs. As a true fiduciary, we work with business owners and outside advisors to help ensure they do not price their company too low, sell when they could have retained ownership, or approach the sale of the business before the business is poised for a successful transition. Below are examples of some of the ways we have helped entrepreneurs navigate what's next for their business and family.

Industrial Services

The family approached Balentine to guide them through selling their business — an industry-leading provider of HVAC equipment. The company needed counsel on liquidity options, succession planning, and board constitution. We advised on two ~$50MM dividend recapitalizations, allowing for liquidity, estate planning, and maintaining equity control, and guided on the sale of equity stakes for more than ~$200MM. Collaborating with the owner, we established key performance indicators and a reporting dashboard. We created a board and acted as active board observer, all while helping formulate a succession plan. Additionally, we identified comparable public and private competitors to formulate valuation for the company to base their offers.

Leisure Management Company

Leisure Management Software

A U.K based provider of leisure facility management was severely impacted by the COVID pandemic and needed both board/strategic advisory services as well as financing assistance. We coordinated multiple equity raises, advised the board on best practices, and helped develop a strategy to avoid a Covid-induced cash crunch. We also provided valuation data on comparable companies to derive valuation estimates and identified and negotiated with potential strategic acquirers.

Large Franchise Owner/Operator

Large Franchise Owner

A largest U.S. fast food franchise owner/operator needed advice sourcing and evaluating financing needs and maximizing tax efficiency. We advised on an over $400MM leveraged recapitalization and advised and sourced preferred equity investments. We consulted on recognizing depreciation and how to maximize tax efficiency in the event of a future sale.

Synthetic Materials Group

A major industrial management company focused on synthetic materials needed general business strategy and capital structure advice. We advised the founding family on potential strategic venture investments and optimal structuring. Consulting with the CFO, we helped build a master model for cash flow planning for various complex entities. And finally, we helped the family source strategic minority investors for a new venture.

The Balentine Difference

"Balentine guided me through the process of selling my business. After, my head was spinning from my transaction, and I was coming into this brand-new world where my wealth was now in a brokerage account instead of tethered to my company where I could control what happens next. Balentine did an unbelievably fantastic job helping me transition and feel comfortable during the onboarding."

Andy Vabulas

Balentine Client

As I was preparing to sell my company, the Balentine team was right there to help me think about and address less exciting topics early on - from our estate plan, to accounting services, understanding the potential tax consequences of a sale, to business and personal insurance. They introduced me to talented professionals I didn't know, and helped me think through the best approach to do things better, smarter, and more efficiently."

Retired Tech CEO

Balentine Client

(cont'd) "I absolutely felt that I had a partner there to help us figure everything out, and we ended up with a far better result than trying to doing it on our own."

Retired Tech CEO

Balentine Client

"Balentine helps us by asking the right questions; they guide us without imposing their thoughts. They keep us on the right track and come with solutions and tools for what we want to do."

Marc and Cecil Noel

Balentine Clients

"When selecting wealth advisors, we wanted to work with a firm that understands what we face as entrepreneurs and can be proactive in addressing our needs. Balentine has delivered on this and more, providing innovative ideas."

Todd & Laura Olson

Balentine Clients

Balentine clients were not compensated via credits or other benefits from Balentine for providing testimonials.

Reach for your goals —we’ll go the extra mile to make sure you get there.

At Balentine, we do it all — even services that don’t neatly fall into one of these categories. Our highly personalized, full-team approach brings objectivity, insight, and experience to identify your goals and objectives. How can we help you on your wealth management journey?

Planning

Our financial planning services run the gamut, from asset and balance sheet management to cash flow reporting and maintenance.

Legacy

We help clients reach new levels of alignment, authenticity, trust, and transparency with loved ones by including each generation in discussions around wealth and exploring opportunities that reflect family values and interests.

Investments

We invest in public and private markets as well as making investments that are taxable and tax-exempt — guided by our unemotional, data-driven models.

Institutional

We proudly serve as a trusted partner to plans and consultants alike: Protecting capital, capturing market upside, and identifying and acting on opportunities, near and far.

Learn more about the brains behind business advisory.

From steps for selling your business to successfully navigating succession planning, browse our collection of resources by and for entrepreneurs from Balentine thought leaders.