- Small businesses employ 62.3 million people and account for 45.9% of private-sector employment nationwide, according to the Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy
- Advisory firms help business owners prepare for growth, a sale, or a family transition by reducing dependence on the owner.
- The United States has 36,207,130 small businesses.
Creating options
A business owner’s next chapter might involve growth, a sale or a handoff to family. The approach starts with making the business less dependent on the person leading it.
“Most owners I talk to are carrying the whole business on their own shoulders,” Brad Beldon, owner of Cornerstake Advisory, said. “You don’t build one business to grow and a different one to sell or hand down.” Beldon suggests connecting daily leadership with decisions about what eventually happens to the company.
“If the business only works because you’re in the building, every option gets smaller,” he said. “I started Cornerstake Advisory to help owners build something that stands on its own.”
Starting with the foundation
Beldon’s firm organizes its work around what he calls The Owner’s Foundation. The framework includes six fundamentals: people, culture, leadership, systems, numbers and strategy. The CEO describes these as building blocks for increasing business value while reducing dependence on an owner.
The company's mission reflects his construction expertise which demonstrates that a corner stake marks a corner before a foundation is poured. Everything that follows is measured from that point, a concept reflected in the firm’s approach to business ownership.
Matching support to the need
Cornerstake offers four services. One-on-one owner coaching focuses on leadership, decisions and the road ahead. Advisory services offer a sounding board for growth plans, sale preparation and family transitions. Fractional CEO services provide selective, hands-on leadership for a defined period.
Speaking engagements include keynotes and workshops for associations, conferences and leadership groups. Each service draws on the same six fundamentals rather than treating growth, sale preparation and succession as separate foundations. Beldon founded Cornerstake Advisory in San Antonio in 2026. He is offering no-cost, 30-minute introductory conversation about their business.
The bigger question
How can communities introduce business ownership, succession planning and preserving family assets to households focused on immediate financial needs, making these conversations practical and accessible before families begin thinking about generational wealth?
The stats
According to the Small Business Administration's Office of Advocacy, The United States has 36,207,130 small businesses.
- Small businesses represent 99.9% of U.S. businesses
- Small businesses employ 62.3 million people nationwide
- Small businesses account for 45.9% of private-sector employment
Additional resources
These federal or federally supported programs provide education, mentoring or counseling for families exploring ownership can use them to learn how to start and strengthen a business.
- Small Business Development Centers: Counseling and training to start businesses and expand existing companies.
- SCORE Business Mentoring: Volunteer mentors help entrepreneurs plan, launch, manage and grow businesses.
- Women’s Business Centers: Free or low-cost counseling and training focused on women starting or expanding businesses.
- Veterans Business Outreach Centers: Business ownership resources for veterans, service members and military spouses interested in starting or growing a business.
- SBA Learning Platform: Online training and development opportunities for small-business owners.
