
Making the Most of Employee Stock Ownership
Employee stock purchase plans are powerful investment vehicles. Learn their key benefits and how to take advantage of them.
We support business owners and their families with the expertise and resources you need to reach your professional and personal goals. By partnering with your attorneys, accountants and other advisors, and leveraging our team of business transition experts as needed, we can help your business and your family flourish well into the future.
As your business grows, your insurance needs will likely evolve alongside it. We’ll review your existing insurance policies and provide objective guidance that addresses your needs, whether it’s to ensure the longevity of your business or enhance the benefits of your key employees.
Because Baird does not sell personal insurance products, we can work with you to review what insurance solutions truly work best for you and your business.
For businesses that offer a qualified retirement plan, we can support the fiduciary obligations that are a result of sponsoring a plan, such as plan reviews, fee analysis, investment recommendations, employee education, and ongoing support for you and your organization.
As an independent consultant, we can work with you to analyze a range of providers and help design a customized and flexible solution.

Employee stock purchase plans are powerful investment vehicles. Learn their key benefits and how to take advantage of them.

With the right planning, your equity compensation can be a cornerstone of your financial future.

It’s critical you identify the right retirement plan for your business.

You took on a pandemic, you dealt with inflation, and now, you’re faced with the challenge of adjusting to our ‘new normal.’

How you structure your business can impact taxes, fundraising and what you’re responsible for if things go wrong.

Certain kinds of insurance plans can be a valuable strategy to enhance benefits and ensure the longevity of your business.
Our first priority is helping you take care of yourself and your family. We want to learn more about your personal situation, identify your dreams and goals, and understand your tolerance for risk. Long-term relationships that encourage open and honest communication have been the cornerstone of my foundation of success.
59% of business owners have no plan for their life post-business.
80% of a business owner's net worth is locked in their business.
58% of business owners have no written transition plan.
Whether your transition will be intrafamily or to an external buyer, Baird has the experts to support you through the business sale, and the impacts it has on your family and retirement plan.
Our team can help coordinate your business transition team, including your attorneys and CPA, to help ensure the your transition runs smoothly. We’ll also use this time to revisit your personal financial plan, exploring tax, liquidity, charitable giving and estate planning strategies to pursue post-transition.
Whether an external sale, internal buyout or family transition, the complexities that accompany the various types of transitions are wide in range – your transition team can support you in developing a timeline, business valuation and communication strategy.
Following your exit, we’ll revisit your wealth plan to ensure your assets and liabilities are in alignment, and implement any investment strategies that use proceeds from the business sale.

Five strategies to navigate difficult conversations around succession planning and help bring a family together.

It’s your most valuable asset, so make sure you maximize its value before you make a sale or other business transition.

Why you might benefit from a business valuation, when to get it, and other common questions.

Why succession plans are key for preparing to sell or transfer ownership of your business – and five ways you can do so.

How developing a strong plan for selling your business is key to a smooth adjustment into this new stage of life.
When you’re ready, our team can leverage key internal partners who help you envision and execute your transition plan.
Baird's Business Owner Solutions can support valuations, sales, mergers, acquisitions, employee stock ownership plans and other similar transactions.
Our team, backed by Baird Family Wealth, provides specialized guidance for legacy wealth families who require advice and services that extend beyond traditional wealth management needs.
Following your exit, we can evaluate how the proceeds of your transition can fit into your personal wealth, tax and estate plan.