There is a real threat to many businesses in the United States and our area is certainly not immune. According to Forbes, between 80 – 90 percent of U.S. businesses are family owned or family controlled. Statistics tell us less than one third of those will survive into the second generation and roughly only 10 percent will make it to the third and beyond. Business succession planning is very important and is a process whereby owners research and decide upon a plan to move forward in case of the