The Dahlias Planner has officially launched its first module — Business Essentials!
When starting out on this journey to create a planner that would help business owners bring together all their business details, documents, assets, and account information into one centralized space, I wanted the design and visual for this planner to represent how there are so many layers/facets to our lives.
Not one. MANY.
I was attracted to the dahlia flower for a few reasons. First, a dahlia flower has anywhere from a single row of petals to several rows, with most varieties having between 8 and 20 petals; however, some particularly full varieties can have significantly more.
I felt like the dahlia represented the intricate nature of the human life.
How each dahlia flower is unique with varying amounts of petals, representing the different layers of our own personal lives.
The second reason I was drawn to the dahlia flower to represent this planner is because ‘dahlia’ is a great acronym for all the potential life events, crises and catastrophes that could impact our being from death and diseases to accidents to hospitalizations to leaves of absence to illness to aging.
Losing my dad in December and watching my mom endure the endless calls and paperwork as default executor kickstarted me thinking about what would happen if I was ‘just gone’ one day.
I know my partner would carry a heavy burden trying to figure out what to do first with my business if anything were to happen to me.
Being a business owner comes with different processes and a lot falls on the entrepreneur, especially sole proprietors.
So, I knew him trying to process this loss plus figure out how to access my business bank accounts, invoices due, customer emails, etc. would push him beyond his capacity.
There had to be a better way.
I began thinking about how I could help reduce the chaos and overwhelm.
How could I make it easier for him to access my business assets and income?
How could I protect him from debt carryover and ensure he could seamlessly access my insurance policies and investments? Because these business assets sometimes operate differently than the policies and plans that are tied to us personally.
But it also got me thinking about who would notify my clients and close my business?
Who could help him manage this while he was grieving and planning my funeral?
I realized how crucial it is to have one dedicated space and resource where all my personal and business documents, accounts information, and assets list could be accessed easily.
That’s what the purpose of this kick-off module is — to help business owners get their business and themselves organized for their present and future.
It is a dedicated, centralized space to help entrepreneurs and business owners of all backgrounds, structures and sizes — including sole proprietors and start-ups — to organize their present, plan for the future of their business AND prepare for unexpected twists and turns along the way.
The Dahlias Planner was designed to encourage you — the business owner — to bring together all your business details, documents, assets, and account information into one centralized space.
It is a password-protected, downloadable, editable PDF that offers six sections to organize your business documents, your tax and accounting details, your business bank account information, your benefits and life insurance policies, plus a section laying out important questions and steps related to wills for entrepreneurs.
Each section provides guidance and instructions for both you — the business owner — and your family to understand how to use the planner to help ease the chaos and overwhelm during a catastrophic time.
This planner is intentionally set-up to give your spouse, partner, executor, or next-of-kin seamless access your business’ details and account information in the event you are incapacitated. It is here to guide them and help them — when you are not by their side.
I urge you to take control of your present and future!
I encourage you to think of your family, your spouse, your children when you are no longer here to help them.
I have been there. I am currently wading through the chaos of my dad’s affairs and I beg of you — please do not make the same mistakes as my family.
Let this be the first step in getting yourself and
your business organized, planned and prepared for your future.
Note: Your Business Executor is a Canadian-owned, women-owned business located in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
#SupportLocal #SupportCanadian
The Dahlias Planner includes a Planning Checklist, a form to fill out to help guide your spouse or family to use this planner, plus six customized sections to help you bring together all the important documents, details, account information, professional contacts, and business asset list to help your next-of-kin easily access these details in the case of a catastrophic event.
Sections and content includes:
Planning Checklist
Business Structure
CRA & Taxes
Business Bank Account Management
Benefits Plan
Life Insurance
Wills for Entrepreneurs
The Dahlias Planner Notes & Next Steps
Professional Contacts List
Spouse & Family Form
Cost: $49 (+HST) CAD
If you are hesitating on the price or purpose, I want you to take a second to think about how hundreds of millions of dollars are left in bank accounts and investments each year because individuals and entrepreneurs do not share their banking details and asset list with their NOK.
How is your family supposed to know something exists if you never shared the details with them?
You worked too hard to lose it in the end.
Prepare and plan now — so your future and your family’s future is secure.
