Business advisors are valuable industry players who help business owners like you manage your companies and build success.
There can certainly be merit to working with advisors who don’t have certifications, as they likely have valuable experience. However, certifications set great advisors apart from good ones. That’s because certifications often require rigorous qualifications, like relevant work experience, knowledge and education, and training.
Advisors who have certifications bring next-level expertise to clients. Here are some of the most popular certifications that should be of interest to business owners.
Certified Business Exit Consultant
Certified Business Exit Consultants (CBECs) are professionals who are certified to assist entrepreneurs in planning business exits.
CBEC professionals counsel entrepreneurs concerning:
- Their exit options
- How to estimate the value of their businesses
- Tax considerations when exiting their businesses
- Preparing for the formal exit
Professionals who receive a CBEC certification undergo extensive training and testing that covers mental preparation for a business exit, validating businesses, private capital markets, transfer strategies, and retaining management teams during transitions.
Certified Exit Planning Advisor
A Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA) is a financial professional who helps business owners with processes like selling their businesses and transitioning them successfully.
CEPA professionals rely on a proprietary framework known as Value Acceleration Methodology to advise their clients. The three major parts of this framework are:
- Maximizing the value of your business
- Personal financial planning
- Planning for life after business
Through this methodology, advisors educate their clients on how they can build and preserve their wealth.
Value Builder-Certified
The Value Builder System is an advanced software that offers a proven process for growing a company’s wealth.
Business owners who work with advisors certified by the Value Builder System tend to increase the overall value of their companies by more than 30% during the first eight months of use.
Those certified to use the Value Builder System often serve as accountants, business brokers, business coaches, merger and acquisitions specialists, financial advisors, management consultants, and wealth managers.
Certified Information Technology Professional
A Certified Information Technology Professional (CITP) has technical expertise across various branches of business technology. These professionals are experts on:
- Data analytics
- Information management and assurance
- Business solutions and emerging trends
To become a CITP, you must first have a CPA. The CITP requires a minimum of 1,000 hours of relevant work experience, usually in IT management.
Certified Public Accountant
Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) are professionals whose expertise extends to taxes, business finances, and finances in general. Essentially, CPAs help businesses and individuals reach their financial goals.
CPAs also help create those financial goals in the first place by bringing their experience and business savvy to the table to help define the action a company should take to achieve success.
The CPA designation is a rigorous one, requiring not only the right education and experience credentials but also a passing score on a notoriously difficult exam.
Certified Valuation Analyst
Certified Valuation Analysts (CVAs) act as business valuation advisors. CVAs perform a variety of functions, including roles such as:
- Financial and investment analysts
- Merger and acquisition consultants
- Financial officers
Their roles may include offering guidance for businesses in the process of mergers or acquisitions, as well as valuing businesses being passed down to a family member. They also help business owners value their companies so they can secure credit or funding.
Why Zabel & Co Values Certifications
The partners at Zabel & Co have invested in many certifications, including those above. We believe it’s one of the best ways to serve and inspire confidence in our clients. The more we invest in our own knowledge, the more reliable we can be for our clients who depend on that knowledge. If we can help you advance your business or identify opportunities to maximize your cash flow, we’d love to be of assistance. Reach out to our team today to connect.