The Business Owner's Retirement Blueprint: Exit Rich, Retire Free
Fully revised and updated for the 2025 One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
There is a single day in most business owners' lives when more money moves than on any other. It is the day the business sells. Years of work collapse into a single wire transfer, and waiting at the other end is the IRS, ready to claim a substantial slice of everything the owner built. A poorly planned exit can hand the government a third of a lifetime's work in an afternoon. It does not have to be that way.
The Business Owner's Retirement Blueprint is a complete guide to navigating the journey from business ownership to a fulfilling, stress-free retirement. Drawing on more than 30 years in financial planning and over 15 years spent helping owners exit profitably, Jeff Kikel combines practical strategies, real-world stories, and step-by-step exercises that show owners how to sell well and retire with confidence.
This second edition adds three new chapters built around the post-2025 tax landscape.
- The QSBS Playbook explains how one section of the tax code can shelter a substantial portion of a sale from federal tax, and why it rewards owners who plan early.
- Cost Segregation reveals an overlooked strategy hidden within an owner's building, now more powerful than it has been in years.
- The Tax-Free Exit Stack shows what happens when these tools stop being separate tactics and become a single coordinated plan that can transform what a sale means for an owner's family and legacy.
Inside, readers will find
The 5-Step Exit Rich, Retire Free System for maximizing business value and securing a smooth transition, a stress-free retirement income strategy designed specifically for business owners, guidance on the emotional and practical realities of life after the sale, more than twenty checklists and exercises, and proven approaches to protecting wealth and passing it on. Owners will learn how to value a business properly, find the right buyer, structure a deal that protects their proceeds, and avoid the regret of selling without a plan for what comes next.
Most financial planners do not understand the business sales process. Most accountants understand the taxes but not the planning. Most attorneys handle the documents but not the bigger picture. Jeff Kikel writes from the rare vantage point of someone who has built businesses, sold them, and guided hundreds of owners through the same transition. Whether retirement is years away or the sale is already in sight, this book offers a clear roadmap through every stage of a successful exit.
Jeff Kikel is a financial expert, entrepreneur, and author with more than 30 years of experience in financial planning and over 15 years focused on helping business owners exit profitably and transition into retirement. Over his career he has personally built and sold multiple businesses, giving him a firsthand understanding of the exit process that few advisors can offer. He has guided hundreds of business owners through the complex journey of valuing, preparing, and selling a company while protecting the wealth they spent a lifetime building. Jeff is the founder of Profit Pilot Tax and Financial Services and Freedom Day Wealth Management, both based in Cedar Park, Texas, where he specializes in exit planning, tax strategy, and retirement income for business owners and equity compensation professionals. He is the author of more than fifteen books on retirement, wealth, and financial freedom. He lives in the Austin, Texas area.
