What's your practice worth if you're no longer able to run it?

In a word "nothing". It's a fact that a sole practitioner's practice will rapidly deteriorate within one month if you're suddenly disabled from an accident or health problem - or if you die. It makes sense. Your clients want the financial security and stability you provide. When you're not there, they will find someone else. Quickly.

You've spent years building your practice - shouldn't it be worth something if you are disabled, die, or want to retire?

Look at the protection plans you probably have in place: health insurance, home insurance, car insurance, life insurance. But who protects your business investment, who insures your clients that they will be taken care of, and who compensates your family no matter what happens?

What can you do now - at no cost - to protect your practice, your clients, your family?

	Consider a "Practice Continuation Plan" - a widely accepted management strategy to protect your accounting practice.
	Isler Northwest has created more Practice Continuation Plans than any other firm in Oregon.
	We call these plans "Standby® Agreements" - which is a way to say "we're standing by in case you need us."

Our "No Strings" Standby® Agreement

	The plan is simple. It's a contract between you as a sole practitioner and Isler Northwest, in the event you are disabled or die, that automatically transfers your practice under terms established in advance.
	This means your business stays intact, your income continues, and you and your family are protected - and it's all risk free.
	Plus - anytime you want, for whatever reasons, you can call our office and cancel the plan. Period.
	No penalties, no run-around, no money out of your pocket. No strings attached.

Temporarily sick or injured? Who runs the business?

If you were out of work from an accident or an illness and couldn't practice for six months, how would a Standby® Agreement with Isler Northwest protect you?

We would immediately step in for whatever period of time you needed us. We would run your practice, pay you, and turn the practice back over to you (intact) when you were ready to return to work. No client stealing, no tricks. Intact. Guaranteed. And it's in writing.

If you die - is your practice protected?

Let's say you've been in practice for 15 years, have built up a good business that is just beginning to pay off from the early lean years. You're married and have three kids. Suddenly, you're killed in an auto accident. Would a Standby® Agreement help?

Yes! A Standby® Agreement drawn up by you, your attorney, your primary heir, and Isler - in advance - means your practice can stay intact with the ongoing profits paid out according to your wishes.

So what's the catch - and what's the cost?

A Standby® Agreement is a guaranteed contract, geared to fit your individual needs, that costs you nothing yet provides you with complete protection, so you don't have to lie awake at night and wonder what would happen if...

How does it work?

	The Standby® Agreement can be used to protect you in case of disability, death, or as a retirement vehicle. Your choice.
	It does not go into effect until the agreed upon circumstances occur - at which time Isler Northwest will either temporarily continue your practice for you or take over your practice completely. Again - your choice.
	Your attorney, spouse, or legal heir are an integral part of your Standby® Agreement ensuring that your contract is coordinated with your business as well as your personal goals and plans.

Our commitment to you.

	We will not, at any time, pursue or take a client from you. That is part of our moral obligation to you and its guaranteed in writing as part of your Standby® Agreement.
	The value you have built-up over the years will not be lost and in the case of your death, your heirs will be compensated on a regular and timely basis.
	Whether we assist you temporarily or permanently, we will assign your clients to partners who, like you, are dedicated to providing exceptional personal service.

What benefits do you get today from your Standby® Agreement?

	You can call on our staff for research information, use our library and computers, tap into our technical advisers, or join us - free of charge - in our continuing professional education programs.
	Our job is to support you when you want it and need it, so your clients are pleased with you.
	We serve a broad range of industries so we may be able to help you with specific tax or audit questions.
	In addition, we can be your back-up for litigation support, computer and information accounting systems, management consulting, estate planning, and much more.

And the best part is...

You can cancel your Standby® Agreement with a phone call - no matter what the reason. No hidden agendas, no fine print, no cost, no strings. That simple. A phone call.

Clients Demand Financial Continuity.

"If I was disabled or if I died, I've told my wife to call Isler immediately and activate this agreement. Don't wait. You can literally measure the decline in your practice by the days. I've seen accountants who've been disabled lose their clients - loyal clients - within one week. Clients want continuity in their financial affairs and if you're not there to provide it, they'll go elsewhere. Fast."
--Isler Standby® Colleague

Your Ace in the Hole.

"Isler is your security net... 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and far into the future."

Why Isler?

"My wife and I run our own CPA practice and we read an article in the OSCPA magazine written by Isler's managing partner, John Chambers. They have a program that's been in place for over 30 years which gives them more experience doing these agreements than anyone else in the State. They also have the depth of resources and staff we needed, and to top it off - they made it easy.

Some accountants may be afraid that Isler will jump in and steal their clients. But they've never done that - As a matter of fact, they help us retain our clients by providing us with their technical advice and knowledge.

We're just glad we did it."
--Isler Standby® Colleague

It's a Win-Win Agreement.

"As a sole-practitioner, I wanted some back-up and partnerships aren't all they're cracked up to be. The practice continuation plan gives me and my wife all the security we need in addition to giving me all the the technical support now that I could ever want. That's a win-win agreement in my book. I can also use Isler exactly as I would a consultant, which means I don't have to bill my clients for hours and hours of research. Their experts are a phone call away and they know me. They will do a good job with my clients because they're a solid, reliable firm."
--Isler Standby® Colleague

It's Like the Best Aspects of a Partnership.

"It's really like having a partnership - only on the good days. We're your reinforcement, your team, your pool of experts whenever you need us."

Everything was Arranged.

"My husband died suddenly, and I can tell you that the agreement he made with Isler really saved the day and the practice. He died on a Saturday and by Monday morning they had letters out to his clients so everything continued without interruption. They were very fair and very nice and made arrangements for me to do whatever I wanted. As a result, I had five years to travel, do work on the house, and make good investments. Now I feel secure."

Grappling With the Unknowns

"I didn't want to continue grappling with the unknowns. What if something happens to me, where do my clients go? I knew I couldn't turn my practice over to another small office because they'd be buried by my work load. I needed a firm large enough and good enough to handle my practice and to make my clients feel secure and comfortable. That's why I chose Isler's Standby® Agreement. Looking back now, I have no regrets. Both my clients and my family will be very well taken care of."

Why wouldn't you do it?

"Having a Standby® Agreement with Isler is like being a partner with a big accounting firm without all the hassles of being a partner in a big accounting firm. I get free continuing education now, substantial back-up and expertise whenever I need it, plus my wife will benefit from my practice if I die or am disabled. All of this and yet I run my own business, my own way. Frankly, I just can't think of one good reason why a sole practitioner wouldn't sign a Standby® Agreement. It wasn't complicated, it didn't cost a cent, and they bent over backwards to accommodate me."
--Isler Standby® Colleague

Reputation For Integrity

"I signed a Standby® Agreement for four reasons. One, I want my clients to have continuity so their financial records would be intact and move smoothly to a firm I know and respect. Second, I want to make sure my estate reaps the value of my years in business. Third, I want the technical support. And finally, I signed with Isler because of their reputation for integrity and because they fit my style of practice."
--Isler Standby® Colleague

Protection For the Future - Technical Support Now

"Having a Standby® Agreement serves a two-fold purpose for me. First, I want to make sure my heirs benefit from the years I've spent developing this practice. If I'm looking down the road, I want the kind of protection that this plan offers in case I'm disabled or die. I hope I never have to exercise the agreement, but it gives me a level of confidence and security that I need. Second, Isler has the resources, systems, and staff that, if necessary, I can turn to for technical support. And likewise, they can't turn to me. It's been a good reciprocal relationship."
--Isler Standby® Colleague

Have Your Cake and Eat It Too!

"The Standby® Agreement offers you a peace of mind without loss of control. It's a little like having your cake and eating it too."