THE FAMILY BUSINESS PROTECTION CHECKLIST

Most business owners plan for one risk: what happens to the business if I die.

That matters. But there is a second risk that shows up far more often, and far sooner: what could happen to the business tomorrow, while you are still very much running it, if a key relationship inside your company breaks down.

A conflict between family members. A son or daughter who feels overlooked. A spouse who steps back. One bad season in a relationship can turn into poached employees, lost clients, or a competitor built from your own client list, using your own trained talent.

Most owners never see it coming because they were only ever planning for the funeral, not the Tuesday afternoon a key person walks out angry.

The Family Business Protection Checklist gives you a clear, plain language walkthrough of the 12 things to get in place now, before you need them.

What's Inside

Part 1: Protect the Business Right Now Four moves that protect you from damage that can happen this year, regardless of what you decide about the future, including the licensing gap almost every owner misses and the sequencing mistake that turns a smart legal move into a lawsuit.

Part 2: Protect the Business for the Future Six steps covering trusts, incapacity planning, ownership transfer, bylaws, compensation structure, and the funding mechanism most succession plans forget entirely.

Part 3: Think Before You Act Two questions that determine whether your plan actually holds up when tested, or falls apart the moment someone feels cut out.

Every item includes a plain language "why it matters" explanation, so you are not just checking a box. You understand exactly what you are protecting against and why it is on the list.

Who This Is For

Business owners with a spouse, child, sibling, or other family member working in the business Owners thinking through succession, whether that is five years out or already overdue Anyone who has watched a family conflict start to spill into daily operations Owners who assume "the lawyer will handle it" and have never actually asked their lawyer the right questions

What You Walk Away With

A working checklist you can act on immediately The exact questions to bring to your attorney and CPA A clear understanding of where most family succession plans quietly fail A starting point for a real conversation with the people in your business, before a crisis forces that conversation on you

This resource is free. Download it, work through it, and share it with any business owner you know who has family in the business.

Prepared by JuJuan Buford, Sr., Managing Partner of JSB Business Solutions Group, a legal resource provider for small business owners and entrepreneurs. Want a working session on your own business? Visit jsbbsg.com/resources/services overview to see how we can help.

Let's Build Taller Buildings Together.

Disclaimer

This checklist is a general educational resource. It does not constitute legal, tax, accounting, financial, or insurance advice, and downloading it does not create an attorney client, CPA client, fiduciary, or advisory relationship. Consult your own licensed attorney, CPA, and financial or insurance advisors before acting on anything inside it.