On 5 November, entrepreneurial association Toerisme De Baronie organised a knowledge meeting exclusively for its members on business takeover in the family circle. Handing over a business to one of your children or taking over a business from your parents is not something you do lightly. You can't start early enough, was the message of advisers Edwin van Belle and Koen Laseroms of the Schipper Group, knowledge partner of Toerisme De Baronie with a branch in Rijen. Some 15 Toerisme De Baronie members, for whom business succession is an issue, attended the meeting.
"How do you protect the assets, how do you ensure that the business remains well-run and how do you keep the sweet peace within the family?" That is broadly the complicated playing field of a business takeover within the family. Advisors from the consultancy and accountancy firm Schipper gave the entrepreneurs present tips on how to get around the many pitfalls. "How can you ensure a succession without conflicts, where you can enjoy your old age, while the successor has a bright future ahead of him," they said. Interestingly, both speakers cited many concrete and recognisable examples. The core message was: "Make, that which remains unsaid discussable!"
The Toerisme De Baronie members present received much food for thought and perhaps action. A quick scan on emergency succession in case of calamities can help the business and the family. Handing over a business to one of your children is no mean feat. As one attendee plastically expressed: "You teach them to talk and they teach you to shut up".