January 7^th 2010 - Where the Business Plan, Strategic Plan, and Succession Plan Meet Jim Aussem - Cavitch Familo & Durkin - An exit plan is much more effective when thought of as a component of the larger plan for the business. Learn how to coordinate these areas in this webinar. View the recording for this webinar
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January 19^th – 2010 - Employee Ownership Sustainability – Will Your ESOP Last Forever? - Jim Steiker, SES Advisors, Inc. and Steiker, Fischer, Edwards & Greenapple - As companies with Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs) mature, issues arise in which early and proper planning are essential. Learn more at this webinar. View the recording for this webinar
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January 21^st 2010 –Selling to Managers/Key Person(s) – Dave Gustafson, Apple Growth Partners - When considering a sale or transfer to key managers/persons, business owners need to be aware of some important considerations. Gift or sale implications, financing issues, employment contracts, and more are some of the issues covered in this webinar. View the recording for this webinar
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February 9^th 2010 – Small Business Planning for Multiple Shareholders – Tom Gilbride, Gilbride & Company - Issues covered in this webinar include: Legal and financial protection for each shareholder, planning for the exit of one or more shareholders, and planning for potential discord between shareholders. Buy/sell agreements, as well as buy/sell provisions in other business agreements will be covered as well. View the recording for this webinar
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February 11^th 2010 – Maximizing the ESOP Benefit: Employee Ownership Culture – Jay Simecek, Ohio Employee Ownership Center - Studies have shown that when you combine employee ownership with an ownership culture, just about every financial measurement of the company improves as well. Find out more at this webinar. View the recording of this webinar
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This webinar has been cancelled, check back for a rescheduled session coming soon.
February 23^rd 2010 – Issues as an Employee-Owned Co-operative Matures - Leslie Schaller, ACEnet - In many ways, employee-owned co-operatives are just like any other business; in other ways they are not, especially as they mature. Managing growth, integrating new employees/owners, and more will be covered in this webinar.

This webinar has been cancelled, check back for a rescheduled session coming soon.
February 25^th 2010 - Selling Your Business to an Employee-Owned Co-operative: Doing the Deal – Mark Stewart, Shumaker Loop & Kendrick - Learn the nuts and bolts of selling your business to a co-operative at this webinar. Tax, legal, and financial issues will be covered.

View previously archived webinars here

Business Succession Planning Education for 
Economic Development Professionals

Small businesses are the backbone of the U.S. economy, and are the primary source of jobs and job growth. Unfortunately, only 30% of small businesses make it into the 2nd generation, and only 15% make it into the 3rd. The answer? Timely and effective succession planning. The Business Succession Planning Program at Kent State University is running a series of in-person seminars and online webinars for economic development professionals interested in learning how business succession planning can help Ohio businesses survive and thrive in this and future generations.

This program is designed to provide economic development professionals with a basic understanding of the issues involved in planning for succession, as well as information on resources available to help. Helping businesses plan for succession is the single most effective source of job creation and retention in our communities!

Webinars

December 8th, 2009, 10-11 am - Part One: The Basics of Business Succession Planning: Where to Start


December 10th, 2009, 10-11 am - Part Two: Introduction to Tools, Techniques, and Business Valuations; resources

These webinars will be augmented by a series of additional webinars on specific topics, including tools and techniques (see above).