When a founder steps away from a family business, the real question usually isn’t who takes over. It’s whether the buyout itself can carry everyone where they need to go. Retirement income, company cash flow, taxes, and human behavior all start pulling on the same rope, and if the math is off, someone feels it fast. Usually the kids. Sometimes the parents. Occasionally both.

In this episode, Dave Nabity walks through the mechanics behind a family business buyout and why “good intentions” don’t survive bad modeling. From valuation decisions to installment payments and catastrophe planning, this is a practical chalk talk on how to structure a transition that supports the seller’s retirement without putting the next generation in a financial chokehold.

Key topics covered

• How valuation decisions shape everything that follows
• Balancing seller retirement needs with buyer cash flow reality
• Stock sales vs. asset sales and the tax tradeoffs on both sides
• Modeling pre- and post-sale cash flow before anything gets signed
• Why many retirements fall off a cliff around year eleven
• Protecting the plan with leadership readiness and catastrophe planning

Connect with us:

• Dave Nabity on Facebook
• Dave Nabity on LinkedIn
• Nabity Business Advisors

At Nabity Business Advisors, we help business owners handle the “big picture” issues so they can stay focused on building for the future. Learn more at Nabity.com.

Doug Morris is a CPA who lives in the weeds so you don’t have to, and he joins Dave to talk through the “One Big Beautiful Bill” in plain English, with the kind of examples business owners actually care about. They get into what stayed in place from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, why the estate tax exemption jumping to $15M per spouse changes planning conversations, and how quickly things can get expensive when a business makes up most of the estate.

Key takeaways:

• Estate tax exemption changes and planning implications
• What business owners should know about the One Big Beautiful Bill
• Bonus depreciation and how it affects cash flow decisions
• Selling a business: stock deals vs asset deals
• Capital gains considerations at the federal and state level
• Where tax strategy quietly breaks down in succession planning

Connect with us:

• Douglas Morris on LinkedIn
• McFarlin and Brokke
• Dave Nabity on Facebook
• Dave Nabity on LinkedIn
• Nabity Business Advisors

At Nabity Business Advisors, we help business owners handle the “big picture” issues so they can stay focused on building for the future. Learn more at Nabity.com.

Some meetings remind you that true collaboration isn’t a myth after all, and then others make you wonder how certain professionals keep their licenses. Dave walks through both extremes in this episode, pulling back the curtain on what actually happens when CPAs, attorneys, advisors, and insurance agents gather around the table. From the rare moments when everyone shows up prepared and humble, to the far more common scenes where egos, sales pitches, and unread documents derail the entire plan, this episode shows you what a healthy advisory team looks like and how to spot a dysfunctional one before it costs your family time and money.

Key takeaways:

• What a truly collaborative advisory meeting looks and feels like
• How CPAs, attorneys, and advisors each contribute to strong planning
• Why unread prep work is a massive red flag
• The dangers of advisors who see collaboration as competition
• When insurance agents push products instead of planning
• Why “family office” often translates to “sell everything to everyone”
• How to build a team that gives you clear, decision-ready management information

Connect with us:

• Dave Nabity on Facebook
• Dave Nabity on LinkedIn
• Nabity Business Advisors

At Nabity Business Advisors, we help business owners handle the “big picture” issues so they can stay focused on building for the future. Learn more at Nabity.com.

Parents want their children to thrive, especially inside the family business, but sometimes the role they hope their child will grow into doesn’t match who that child actually is. In this episode, Dave shares the patterns he sees when families try to force the wrong fit, and how quickly that can strain both the company and the relationships that hold it together. He walks through temperament, wiring, strengths, and the stories behind tough decisions parents often face, all with a tone that keeps things grounded and human.

Key Topics

• Why parents often place children in roles that don’t match their wiring
• How DISC profiles reveal natural strengths and blind spots
• The danger of assigning CEO responsibilities to a support-oriented child
• What unequal skill sets mean for future equity decisions
• Ways to treat kids fairly without harming the business
• How outside guidance protects long-term family unity

Connect with us:

• Dave Nabity on Facebook
• Dave Nabity on LinkedIn
• Nabity Business Advisors

At Nabity Business Advisors, we help business owners handle the “big picture” issues so they can stay focused on building for the future. Learn more at Nabity.com.

Business owners reach a moment where paying someone else’s rent stops making sense and owning starts to look like a path to long-term wealth. 

Dave sits down with his son, Graham Nabity from CBRE, for a grounded, no-nonsense conversation about how business owners should think about buying, leasing, building, or expanding their space. They get into what the market looks like today, why industrial vacancies are basically nonexistent, and the factors that determine whether a purchase becomes an asset or a headache.

Key takeaways:

• When business owners should shift from leasing to owning
• How SBA loans actually work
• The industrial space shortage and zoning limitations
• What makes Class A vs Class B office properties different
• How lease renewals can make or break your occupancy
• Using real estate ownership as part of a retirement plan
• Depreciation, appreciation, and the tax perks of owning
• What to consider before buying land or building new

Connect with us:

• Graham Nabity on LinkedIn
• CBRE
• Dave Nabity on Facebook
• Dave Nabity on LinkedIn
• Nabity Business Advisors

At Nabity Business Advisors, we help business owners handle the “big picture” issues so they can stay focused on building for the future. Learn more at Nabity.com.

Every owner has that one thing that keeps poking at them. Sometimes it’s the business. Sometimes it’s the people. Sometimes it’s the “I’m-trying-to-sleep-but-my-brain-won’t-get-quiet”.

In this episode of Nabity on Business, Dave pulls out the itch list he’s seen across decades of helping owners plan their exits, calm the drama, and get their companies aligned for the next chapter. If you’re wondering how to sell, who to sell to, how to value the thing you built, how to deal with your kids fighting over stock, or how to keep your management team from evaporating… this is the episode you need.

It’s practical, yes, but it’s also a reminder that none of this is simple, and you don’t have to solve it alone.

Key takeaways:

• Selling a business takes real strategy, not guesswork
• Passing a company to kids or managers gets messy fast without a plan
• Valuation formulas and buy–sell agreements keep partners aligned
• Family dynamics and taxes shape every succession decision
• Diversifying protects your future beyond the business

Connect with us:

• Dave Nabity on Facebook
• Dave Nabity on LinkedIn
• Nabity Business Advisors

At Nabity Business Advisors, we help business owners handle the “big picture” issues so they can stay focused on building for the future. Learn more at Nabity.com.

Before you call your attorney or start drafting trusts, there’s one crucial question to answer: “What’s the right order to plan your company’s future?”

In this episode, Dave breaks down why every business owner should start with succession planning, not estate planning or management incentives. He explains how the structure of your succession plan sets the foundation for gifting, taxes, family fairness, and how to protect your company’s cash flow through the transition.

Key topics:

• Succession planning must come first
• Gifting and trust strategies depend on your succession structure
• Retain and reward your management team after transition
• Balance fairness between family members in and out of the business

Connect with us:

• Dave Nabity on Facebook
• Dave Nabity on LinkedIn
• Nabity Business Advisors

At Nabity Business Advisors, we help business owners handle the “big picture” issues so they can stay focused on building for the future. Learn more at Nabity.com.

When you’ve spent decades building a business, it becomes the cow that feeds everything else. But what happens when the IRS shows up, and estate taxes threaten to take 40% of what you’ve built?

In this episode, Dave breaks down how to protect your family business from being sold off to pay estate taxes, using one of his trademark analogies: the cow, the milk, and the rat hole.

With a few bad dad jokes and a practical approach, Dave explains how life insurance trusts and informal underwriting can help families preserve what really matters, while keeping the business alive for the next generation.

In this episode:

• Why your business is the “cow” that keeps generating income for your family
• How estate taxes can force a sale if you don’t plan ahead
• The role of life insurance trusts in protecting your business and heirs
• How informal underwriting helps you get better life insurance offers
• Why selling the business to pay taxes is often the worst financial move

Connect with us:

• Dave Nabity on Facebook
• Dave Nabity on LinkedIn
• Nabity Business Advisors

At Nabity Business Advisors, we help business owners handle the “big picture” issues so they can stay focused on building for the future. Learn more at Nabity.com.

What should a business owner do with the money sitting on the balance sheet—or the proceeds after selling the company? That’s what Dave Nabity discusses with his longtime business partner, Randy Jensen of Nabity-Jensen Investment Management.

They talk through how to keep corporate cash working without taking unnecessary risks, what to consider when building bond ladders, and how ESOPs can help owners transition while rewarding employees. From timing and taxes to diversification and discipline, it’s a grounded look at how to make smart financial moves in every stage of ownership.

Key Takeaways:

• How to decide when and where to invest business cash
• Using bond ladders to balance yield and access
• When municipal bonds make sense for S-corps and LLCs
• Strategies for managing a payout after selling the business
• Why diversification protects both freedom and legacy

Connect with us:

• Randy Jensen on LinkedIn
• Nabity-Jensen
• Dave Nabity on Facebook
• Dave Nabity on LinkedIn
• Nabity Business Advisors

At Nabity Business Advisors, we help business owners handle the “big picture” issues so they can stay focused on building for the future. Learn more at Nabity.com.

What’s your business really worth? That’s the question Dave Nabity explores with Gregory Harr, CPA, Accredited Business Valuator, and Certified Exit Planning Advisor. The conversation gets into how buyers actually judge value, why family dynamics complicate transitions, and the financial planning steps that can protect both the company and the legacy behind it.

Gregory brings years of experience helping owners prepare for sales and successions. He shares why waiting for a health scare or life event often means selling at a discount, how to think about cash flow versus EBITDA, and what parents should consider before handing the reins to the next generation.

Key takeaways:

• Why waiting too long to sell can cost millions
• The difference between EBITDA and true net cash flow
• How multiples, cap rates, and risk drive value
• Estate planning strategies for gifting, taxes, and legacy goals
• Preparing kids, balancing siblings, and keeping key managers on board

Connect with us:

• Gregory Harr on LinkedIn
• O'Donnell, Ficenec, Wills & Ferdig, LLP
• Dave Nabity on Facebook
• Dave Nabity on LinkedIn
• Nabity Business Advisors

At Nabity Business Advisors, we help business owners handle the “big picture” issues so they can stay focused on building for the future. Learn more at Nabity.com.