As we have discussed before, no one is (or should be) indispensible in his/her business. But business owners need to consider - one day, you will be no longer able to run your business. No one likes talking about the four "D's" of business ownership, but we all need to plan for the worst, especially, as a business owner, you have people counting on you (your clients, your employees, your family).

The four "D's" are:

• Death
• Disability
• Divorce
• Disagreement amongst partners

You, and your partners, need to have a clear action plan and a shareholder's agreement that would address these issues. You should have a plan to ensure there are systems and processes that run the business without you. But even with the best systems, there will still be some decisions and work that only the business owner can do. Therefore, it is essential you have back-up plans and contingencies to ensure the ongoing survival of the business even if something catastrophic happens to you.

Specific questions to ask yourself:

• What would happen if you die or become disabled?
• Do you have a plan to retain key employees?
• Do you know what your business is worth?
• Do you know how to increase its value?
• Do you have a Buy/Sell agreement if you have partners?
• Do you know where the money would come from to finance that acquisition?