According to a recent report, many small business owners (SBOs) are eager to get financial tips from a qualified adviser, although some demographics may benefit more from enlisting an adviser than others.
Research conducted for Securian Financial Group found that SBOs from the Baby Boomer generation see the state of the economy, personal retirement plans, exit strategies and healthcare costs as their top financial concerns. Meanwhile, Generation-X SBOs focus more heavily on the day-to-day aspects of running their own company, and also prioritize taking care of their families, including sending their children to college.
Advisers are of more value when it comes to offering services that help with immediate needs. The report – titled Generational insights: A comparison of Gen-X and Baby Boomer small business owners – suggests that Gen-X SBOs are most likely to benefit from receiving professional financial investment advice and other guidance, particularly because Gen-Xers tend to be "more aggressive, risk-tolerant investors."
"Our study shows small business owners do want many of the services financial advisers provide," said Kerry Geurkink, director of individual annuity marketing at Securian Financial Group. "But there are about 28 million small businesses in the U.S. and many of their needs cannot be met by one lone adviser."
Because of this, some advisers are electing to partner with other financial professionals in order to focus on the niches that fit their existing practice.
With Baby Boomers rapidly reaching retirement age, it's unsurprising that personal retirement plans are a leading worry among this demographic. However, the ideal of retiring at 65 and never working for a living again is diminishing among SBOs, according to a study conducted last year by the Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute. Less than half (45 percent) of SBO respondents said they felt well-prepared for retirement and nearly two-thirds feared they would outlive their savings. Just 9 percent saw themselves fully retiring in their mid-60s.
"They feel that keeping their business going and working in it … are essential steps to provide a continuing income stream to supplement savings and investments diminished by the recession," said institute director Mark Wolf.
Representatives at a community bank like My Bank can help entrepreneurs put a comprehensive financial plan in place that reflects the needs of individual SBOs, whether their top concerns are related to bigger-picture issues or simply keeping their company running from day to day.