Financial planning for business owners in Columbus and across Ohio
Your business is your biggest asset and your biggest risk. We help Ohio business owners turn what the company earns into personal wealth, with fee-only, fiduciary advice from real people.
When the business and your personal money finally line up.
Most owners pour everything into the company and leave their own financial life on the back burner. The result is a great business and a personal plan that never got built. We fix that: a clear owner-pay strategy, the right retirement accounts, a tax plan that looks at both sides, and a path to the day you slow down or sell.
Everyone has a story. Ours is making sure the financial side of yours is never the part that holds you back.
Nick George, CFP®, ChFC®, CLU®, IWA™ · Founder
You have spent years building something, and most of your net worth is tied up in it. The hard part is turning that into a secure personal life: paying yourself well, keeping taxes measured, setting up retirement accounts that actually fit an owner, and planning for the day you step back or sell. We work with owners of small and mid-sized businesses across Columbus and Ohio, from service firms and trades to professional practices and online companies, and we coordinate with your CPA and attorney so the business side and the personal side finally line up.
Paying yourself the right way
Owner pay is more than a number. Salary, distributions, an S-corp election, and how you fund benefits all change your taxes and what you keep. We build an owner-pay plan around your real cash flow, coordinate salary and distributions with a trusted CPA partner, and make sure you are not overpaying yourself into a bigger tax bill or underpaying yourself out of your own retirement.
A retirement plan built for an owner
You do not have a corporate 401(k) match waiting for you, so we build the plan around your situation: a Solo 401(k) or SEP-IRA if it is just you, a company 401(k) or cash balance plan if you have employees and want to shelter more, plus a backdoor Roth and an HSA. In strong years we contribute aggressively, and we make sure the plan you offer employees also works hard for you.
Taxes on both sides of the ledger
Business and personal taxes are one system, and owners lose real money when they are planned separately. We look at entity choice, retirement contributions, the QBI deduction, equipment timing, and how a good year hits your personal return, and we coordinate the details with your CPA. The goal is fewer surprises and a lower lifetime tax bill.
Turning the business into wealth you can keep
A business is not a retirement plan until value actually leaves it. We help you diversify beyond the company, build wealth outside of it, and prepare for a sale or transition long before you need to, so the years you put in become security that does not depend on the business surviving without you.
What this can look like
Illustrative examples, not actual clients, and not a promise of results.
The S-corp and owner pay reset
An owner clearing $300,000 is taking it all as salary and overpaying employment taxes. We set a reasonable salary, shift the rest to distributions, and coordinate payroll with the CPA, keeping money that was leaving for no reason.
The company 401(k) that helps the owner too
A 12-person Ohio company wants to reward the team and shelter more for the owner. We help set up a 401(k) with a profit-sharing design, so employees get a real benefit and the owner shelters far more than an IRA would allow.
Planning for the exit early
An owner five years from selling has 90% of their net worth in the company. We build a plan to draw value out, diversify, and get the books and personal finances ready, so the sale is a milestone and not a scramble.
Why fee-only and fiduciary matters
Fee-only means we are paid by you, never through commissions or product sales, so the advice stays about you. Fiduciary means we are legally bound to act in your best interest, at all times. We work with clients in Columbus, across Ohio, and nationwide, and everything can be done virtually.
Common questions
Do you work with business owners in Columbus and across Ohio?
Yes. We work with owners of service businesses, trades, professional practices, and online companies in Columbus, Dublin, Worthington, and across Ohio, and with owners nationwide, virtually. We are a fee-only, fiduciary firm, so the advice is about you and never about a product.
Should my business be an S-corp?
Often, once your profit is high enough to justify the payroll and filing costs, an S-corp can lower self-employment tax. It is not right for everyone. We run the numbers on your real figures and coordinate the decision with a CPA before anything changes.
What retirement plan is best for a business owner?
It depends on whether you have employees and how much you want to save. A Solo 401(k) or SEP-IRA fits a solo owner, while a company 401(k), sometimes with profit sharing or a cash balance plan, lets an owner with staff shelter much more. We help you choose and set it up.
Can you help me get my business ready to sell?
Yes. We help you plan years ahead: drawing value out of the company, diversifying your net worth, coordinating with your CPA and attorney, and getting your personal finances ready so the proceeds actually fund the life you want.
Do you coordinate with my CPA and attorney?
Yes, and we think that is essential for owners. Your tax, legal, and financial decisions are connected, so we work alongside the professionals you already trust, or introduce you to ones we partner with.
Do I have to be in Ohio to work with you?
No. We are based in Columbus and serve business owners nationwide, virtually. Fee-only and fiduciary means the advice is the same wherever your business is.
Let's turn your business into personal wealth.
This page is general information for people exploring our services and is not investment, tax, or legal advice or a recommendation for any specific person or situation. The examples are illustrative, are not based on actual clients, and are not a promise of results. Strategies such as S-corp elections, backdoor and mega-backdoor Roth contributions, equity-comp decisions, and deferred compensation depend on your specific situation and current law, so confirm the details with a qualified professional before acting. ClearMind Capital LLC is a registered investment adviser; registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
