What happens if the owner of the business dies prematurely, is the business worth the same or did the value of the business just decline? Does the estate have to sell the business immediately or can it run without the owner? How important is the owner to the business. It also depends on the type of business that you own. If you own a consulting business and you have no other staff, when the owner dies, there may not be much value left in the business unless you are able to sell the customer list and the customers go to the new consultant.
If you own a retail store, the clients may come to the store for the products therefore the passing of the owner may or may not affect the sales of the business. If the business is larger and has staff or products which can continue the sales of the business, the business may continue to succeed even though the owner is not longer involved.