50 Common Causes of Family Business Conflict ... and how to deal with them

Ages & Stages - Conflicting Financial Needs.  

By Jon Kenfield. Solutionist.  

• Major cause of conflict - generated by different needs during different ages & stages, compounded by life’s usual complexities.  

• When young - home & mortgage / family / school fees / collecting “toys” + prospect of many more years in the business.  

• Willingness to invest in risk - less to lose and more to gain.  

• When old - fewer operating expenses, but long period of not working and not earning is now an immediate concern.  

• Less return on investment in business and greater need for personal financial security - more focus on self, and less on current & future business.  

• Fear that family members (usually not those working in the family business) will be left having to support aging and ailing parents.  

• Solution: individual & collective financial plans that address everybody’s (especially parents’ ) needs as well as possible, & reassure the whole family that things are under control.  

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