Do your kids really want to take over your business?
Generational succession – handing your business across to your kids or family – sounds simple enough but, many families end up in a dispute right at the point when the parents, business, and children are most vulnerable. It’s important that generational succession is managed as closely and diligently as if you were selling your business to a stranger to avoid misunderstandings and disputes.
If you are looking to hand your business to your children or relatives, there are a few key issues to think about:
Capability and willingness of the next generation – do your kids really want the business?
There needs to be a realistic assessment of whether or not the business can continue successfully after the transition. In some cases, the exiting generation will pursue generational succession either as a means of keeping the business in the family, perpetuating their legacy, or to provide a stable business future for the next generation. All of these are reasonable objectives, however, they only work where there is capability and willingness.
The alternative scenario can also exist where generational succession is pursued by the younger generation. In some cases, it’s seen as their birth right. In these cases, the willingness will exist but this does not automatically translate to capability.
Capital transfer – how much money needs to be taken out of the business during the transition?
What level of capital do the current business owners, generally the parents exiting the business, need to extract from business at the time of the transition? The higher the level of capital needed, the greater the pressure that will be placed on the business and the equity stakeholders.
In most cases, the incoming generation will not have sufficient capital to buy out the exiting generation. This will require the vendors to maintain a continuing investment in the business or for the business to take on an increased level of debt.
In many cases, the exiting generation will want to maintain a level of equity investment. This might be a means of retaining an interest in the business or alternatively staging their transition. In either case, it is important to map the capital transition both from a business and shareholder perspective. This needs to be documented and signed off firstly from the business’s perspective and then by both generational groups. No generational transition should be undertaken without a clear and agreed capital program.
