Succession – don’t leave it to chance!

The most basic of human desires to pass on our name, our heritage, and our possessions from one generation to the next finds modern-day expression in the business family as they seek continuity in the family business.

Founders do not start out on their journey of hard work, sacrifice and risk without at least hoping their venture will endure; leaving a legacy for future generations.

Doing nothing is not a strategy

Yet all too often planning for the inevitable transition from one generation to the next is left to the last moment or not at all. The reasons for this failure to plan are many, to name a few:

Founders may fear a loss of identity, power and control once they step down.
Talking about and planning for death may be a cultural taboo.
What should be a decision based on competence becomes fraught with emotion as the founder must choose a successor from amongst their children.
The founder’s spouse may also fear a loss of identity and purpose as they too relinquish the prominent role they occupied by virtue of their spouse’s position as leader of the family.

Whatever the reasons, failing to plan is planning to fail.

A few pointers

I would advise that the succession planning process commence as soon as there are adult members of the family working in the business. Chance also plays a role. The unexpected death or incapacity of the founder may bring forward the transition process sooner than anticipated. A contingency plan catering for those exceptional moments that are catastrophic in nature is also part of the planning process.

Assuming the family business is viable, the family wants to continue with the business, and there is a pool of potential successors in the family, the pointers below will help you kick start the planning process:

Founder

Ensure the founder has made the life-changing decision to step down and move on to the next phase of their life.
Develop a post retirement plan for the founder, a second act so to speak, that is equally rewarding as the first act.
Make sure the cash flow needs of the founder post retirement are adequately funded, whether through the business or personal savings and investments.

Successor

Identify potential candidates in the family to take over from the founder.
Assess the extent of their commitment to continuing the founder’s legacy.
Put in place a successor development programme to build the skills, knowledge, and experience required of the successor.

Family

Involve the family in the development of the succession plan.
Assess family expectations.
Ensure the successor has the support of the family.

Legal

Understand and assess the impact of the founder’s marital regime and responsibilities to minor children upon the succession plan.
Decide upon the ownership structure of the business. Put in place the legal agreements that give effect to your ownership intentions.
Write your Will.

Most of all, formalise your planning in a written document and share it with the family.

You’re allowed to change it!

Photo credit: Adam Nurkiewicz/Getty Images