Succession by Design: How Visionary Leaders Prepare Their Organization for What's Next

Succession by Design shows business owners how to turn years of hard work into a lasting legacy, creating peace of mind for their families, security for their teams, and the freedom to exit on their own terms.

Most business owners spend years building their companies--but few prepare for how they'll step away. The result? Lost value, family conflict, and legacies left to chance. In Succession by Design, veteran advisor Jim Erben shows you how to avoid becoming another statistic and instead craft a future you'll be proud of.

With clarity and compassion, Erben shares real-life stories of both caution and success, revealing the roadmap every owner needs to transition their business with confidence. From calculating your "Happily Ever After Wealth Number" to protecting your team and securing your family's future, this book equips you to exit not by default, but by design.

Whether you're preparing to retire, pass your business to the next generation, or simply want to be ready for the unexpected, Succession by Design gives you the tools to safeguard your hard work and leave an enduring legacy.

You will learn:

- Why every business--no matter its size--needs a written succession plan.
- How to calculate your "Happily Ever After Wealth Number."
- Ways to determine and maximize your business's true market value.
- Steps to create continuity and emergency operating plans that protect family, staff, and clients.
- Proven strategies to align personal wealth with exit goals.
- How to build a succession "dream team" of advisors.
- What it means to leave not only financial security but also an enduring legacy.

With Succession by Design, you'll gain the clarity and confidence to make intentional choices about your future--and the future of your business.

Author: Jim Erben
Publisher: Mission Driven Press
Published: 07/28/2026
Pages: 176
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.66lbs
Size: 8.50h x 5.40w x 0.80d
ISBN: 9781637634639

About the Author
Jim Erben is the President of Erben Associates and a highly sought after advisor on exit and succession planning for privately held businesses. For more than thirty years, he has guided owners through the challenges of succession, continuity, and executive retention--helping them protect their companies, their loved ones, and the legacies they've worked so hard to build.

Under his leadership, Erben Associates has been named the #1 exit and succession planning firm in Texas and has been nationally recognized in the INC. 5000 list multiple times as one of the fastest-growing companies in the country. Jim's proprietary planning process provides clarity and confidence, equipping business owners to step away on their terms while safeguarding family harmony, employee security, and long-term value. With $350 mil assets under management Erben Associates has helped more than thirty founders successfully transition with multi-seven-figure exits and manage their Happily Ever After.

Jim's first book, Succession by Design, draws on his decades of experience and real-life client stories to give business owners a roadmap to exit not by default, but by design.