In this special Quarterly Economic and M&A Update, I’ve pulled together three powerful conversations to help you, the owner-operator, navigate the current economic landscape and make smarter decisions for your business. We’ll start with Brian Beaulieu from ITR Economics, who provides a detailed breakdown of inflation, interest rates, and how the economy might shift in 2025. Then, Jeff Buettner from ButcherJoseph shares critical insights into M&A trends, offering practical advice on how to position your business for growth through strategic acquisitions. Finally, I wrap up with Tom Walker, where we discuss how to manage capital effectively, handle debt, and plan for long-term wealth creation in today’s complex financial environment.  

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If you’re focused on growing your business while staying ahead of economic challenges, this episode gives you actionable strategies to think and operate like a capital allocator. 

Chapters:  

• 00:00 - Introduction - A quick overview of what to expect from this quarterly update and why it's critical for owner-operators right now 


• 02:05 - Segment 1: Economic Forecast with Brian Beaulieu (ITR Economics), Inflation isn’t going away soon, but understanding the trends helps you prepare 


• 08:32 - Don’t wait for interest rate cuts—start positioning your business today - 2025 offers growth potential if you’re prepared to act when the market turns 


• 12:23 - Financial resiliency analysis - financial forecasting and business strategy 


• 23:34 - Owner-operators in Ryan’s workshops  


• 25:00 -  Don’t expect the government to help you in the next political cycle 


• Business leadership and future planning


• Economic trends and market activity 


• 28:00 - Segment 2: M&A Trends with Jeff Buettner (ButcherJoseph), watching the Fed and their moves 


• 33:00 - Rising interest rates are a challenge, but they’re also slowing down your competition—use that to your advantage, asset-heavy industries are seeing more deal flow, so positioning your company for growth through M&A is critical 


• 37:00 - Flexible Deal Structures for Business Owners - Strategic buyers are on the hunt—find out how to make your business attractive for acquisition 


• 41:00 - Acquisition strategies for business owners, positioning your company for the future, strategic business valuation and planning 


• 52:39 - ESOPs and personal guarantees 


• 55:40 -  Assess whether your business is ready for a strategic acquisition or if you should be on the lookout for options to increase value 


• 1:11:36 - Segment 3: Strategic Capital Allocation with “fractional CFO” Tom Walker of Walker Insights 


• 1:14:00 - Navigating financial uncertainty, oversimplifying, low interest rates foster bad decisions 


• 1:20:02 - Farmland data, investment trends and challenges, renting farmland 


• 1:25:21 - How will we return to “normalcy”? Potential debt defaults, navigating economic uncertainty in agriculture 


• 1:34:00 -  What to watch in the economy 


• Share with the owner/operators you know! 

Ryan Tansom is a seasoned entrepreneur, speaker, and the founder of Independence by Design™, a transformative ownership framework for growth-oriented business owners. After turning around and selling his family business in an eight-figure exit, Ryan spent over a decade dissecting the lessons learned from his journey. His mission is to help other business owners avoid the pitfalls he encountered by providing them with the tools and knowledge to align their business operations with their personal and financial goals. 

With a deep understanding of the challenges faced by owner-operators, Ryan developed Independence by Design™ to empower owner-operators to create sustainable cash flow, grow their company’s equity value, and achieve true independence. He has shared his insights on hundreds of stages, including Vistage, EO, and industry associations, and has reached over 500,000 listeners through his podcast. 

Ryan is passionate about helping business owners get unstuck from the day-to-day grind and design a business that serves their life, not the other way around. 

Resources: 

Brian Beaulieu 

Website: ITR Economics https://itreconomics.com 

LinkedIn: Brian Beaulieu https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-beaulieu 

Jeff Buettner 

Website: ButcherJoseph https://butcherjoseph.com 

LinkedIn: Jeff Buettner https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-buettner 

Tom Walker 

Website: Walker Insight https://walkerinsight.com 

Prosperity in The Age of Decline: How to Lead Your Business and Preserve Wealth Through the Coming Business Cycles – by Brian Beaulieu, Alan Beaulieu 

Independence by Design™ Owner’s Workshop https://ryantansom.com/independence-by-design-workshop 

Independence by Design™ Ownership Coaching: Ryan Tansom’s Ownership Accelerator programs and coaching https://ryantansom.com/coaching 

Ryan Tansom Website https://ryantansom.com/ 

Ryan Tansom LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryantansom/ 

Ryan Tansom Twitter https://twitter.com/RyanTansom 

Ryan Tansom YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@ryantansom 

Ryan Tansom 30-Minute Ownership Strategy Call https://calendar.app.google/tsKk7z6ohugDchWq8