The succession of a family business reveals that it does not make it ahead. Around 90% of business does not reach the third generation. The failures of family-owned businesses are apparent even after an orderly transition. Taking professional advisors and sticking to experts are good for running family businesses. It ensures continued success and facilitates growth for generations.
Good reasons why own children should not inherit your business
1. Family businesses lead to an unfulfilling life
A family business is valuable, but compelling your children towards family businesses results in negative emotions. Parents want their children to lead fulfilling lives, and this intention should be clear. Hauling children into family business and entrepreneurship makes them disengaged and hinders your children.
It reflects on the family business, and they fail to develop meaningful relationships beyond the family business. They lead unfulfilled life and are unable to show their potential. Your children end up feeling less fulfilled, and the PERMA scale is lower than choosing their path.
2. Allow children to discover their purpose in life
Every individual has a goal in life. Some are capable of bringing meaning to this world. Try to groom children to fit into the business. Allow them to discover who they are and their purpose in life. It will bring them back to business with awareness and change.
However, it may go the other way, like opting for digital transformation and choosing out of your business. Do not focus on them holding your breath. There is a likelihood for children to fail in the purpose and have a slim line in business.
3. Dislike towards nepotism
Giving children family business and power within the business is nepotism, and a majority of your employees dislike it. It results in resentment and leads to an environment of toxic work. The best is to promote the company on merit and not as per familial relationship.
Nepotism favoring family in the workplace is nothing more than business insurance. It is not illegal but a way of introducing destructive practices in the workplace. It limits the opportunities for employers to promote, and retention of top talents becomes difficult. It also keeps out of shared knowledge and expansion.
4. Mixing business and family is complicated
The dynamics of family and business are complicated. A family business often leads to personal relationships interference with professional ones. One can easily find a way into business as a family member, and this results in feuding unnecessarily.
Your family members may have different ideas about running a business fundamentally, and this may lead to disagreements and conflicts. These put a strain on business and lead to failure. There is nothing to run as business insurance.
Business and family are two things apart. It is not necessary to accept blood is always thicker. Though true, consider the best intentions and start doing a safe business. Turn anything to save the family business, even if it means a minor embarrassment.
A business hosts its challenges and risks. Ensure the interference in your family business does not become the reason for any major nightmare.
5. Avoid inheriting a conflict of interest
The economic beneficiaries are your children. They get your estate and business as your heirs but do not hand over your entrepreneurship. Nevertheless, your wealth to a large portion tied to your business value.
As beneficiaries, the heirs access the liquidity and wealth, which they are not keen to participate in. They will mindlessly get ready to sell the company or maximize distribution. Their contribution or investment in the company’s growth may result in the business’s downfall.
