Growth-Drive, BEI add business value planning to BEI PlanIt

Growth-Drive and Business Enterprise Institute have integrated Growth-Drive’s Initial Strategic Capacity Analysis into BEI PlanIt, giving advisors new tools to value businesses, measure strategic capacity, and tie company performance to owners’ wealth and legacy goals. The move is aimed at helping advisors move faster on valuation, succession, and exit planning for privately held businesses.

Why it matters: - The integration gives advisors a faster way to estimate business value and connect that number to an owner’s personal financial goals. - Privately held businesses are often an owner’s largest financial asset, so more credible valuation and planning tools can change succession, exit, and wealth strategies. - The combined workflow is designed to help advisors identify value gaps earlier and start more productive client conversations.

What happened: - Growth-Drive and Business Enterprise Institute announced an integration of Growth-Drive’s Initial Strategic Capacity Analysis technology into BEI PlanIt. - BEI PlanIt subscribers can now calculate business value in moments using market comparable and discounted cash flow methods. - Advisors can also measure a company’s Strategic Capacity, defined as its ability to generate predictable profits and cash flow, sustain growth, and maximize transferable equity value.

The details: - The integration adds Growth-Drive’s Equity Value Planner™, which helps advisors estimate the transferable business value needed to reach an owner’s personal financial objectives. - Advisors can use the planner to compare current value with future needs and spot shortfalls. - The combined tools support BEI’s Owner-Based Planning framework, including wealth planning, business succession, ownership transitions, executive compensation and retention strategies, and insurance solutions for continuity, key-person risk, and succession funding. - BEI said the integration opens collaboration opportunities for BEI CExP members and Growth-Drive’s C3D-certified advisors. - BEI CExP members focus on wealth and legacy planning, while Growth-Drive’s C3D-certified advisors focus on business advisory work. - Growth-Drive said its technology can also help identify the capabilities that drive business value and link business performance to the owner’s personal objectives.

Between the lines: - The partnership pushes valuation work earlier in the advisory process, before planning turns to transactions or succession mechanics. - Growth-Drive’s data suggests that four out of five businesses need higher Strategic Capacity and stronger profits and cash flow to reach owners’ wealth and legacy goals. - That improvement can support transferable equity value through stronger free cash flow, higher valuation multiples in an M&A transaction, and more successful internal transfers. - The alliance also points to a more integrated advisory model that blends business analysis, strategic execution, and personal financial planning.

What's next: - Advisors using BEI PlanIt now have access to the integrated valuation and planning tools. - Growth-Drive and BEI are positioning their professional communities to work together on client engagements involving growth, risk reduction, succession, and exit planning. - The companies say the combined approach is intended to help owners build, protect, and realize the value of their businesses over time.

The bottom line: - The deal turns business valuation into a more direct input for wealth and legacy planning, not just a stand-alone report. - More information can be found through Business Enterprise Institute, and company details are available from Growth-Drive.