June 1, 2016

The business succession planning strategy of Mark Zuckerberg could have important ramifications for individuals who are approaching retirement and thinking about whether or not it is time to move on. 

For example, Sumner Redstone, a multi-billionaire, is currently locked in an argument with trustees and his family over the control of his companies, Viacom and CBS. One of the key takeaways that Sumner and other individuals approaching retirement without a business succession plan can learn from Mark Zuckerberg is that there are key generational differences in the way that entrepreneurs build their companies.

In all situations, it’s in your best interests to avoid winding up in Redstone’s situation. You might assume that exiting the business is so far in the future that you don’t need to worry about it, but this is a mistake. In fact, there are many reasons that you may wish to exit or sell the business outside of death of an owner, and planning ahead for these can make for a smoother transition when the time comes.

A new survey from U.S. Trust found that younger business owners are planning to exit their companies and raising money in ways that are quite different from older generations even though many of their key concerns about eliminating or moving on from their role in the business are the same across generations. The younger generation deals with succession planning in very different ways.

Although two-thirds of current business owners do not have a formal exit strategy, and for the baby boomer population only 52% of younger business owners do not have an exit strategy in place. To learn more about how a business succession plan can help you accomplish goals for your company as well as determine when it time to move on in the future, consult with a New Jersey business succession planning attorney today.