Family-run businesses represent the future building blocks of China’s economy. According to research, over the next few years China can expect to see six million family businesses contribute to its economic growth. Since private enterprise is relatively new in China, many family businesses are still controlled by their original founders who may soon pass their firms on to the next generation. Successful handovers are therefore of huge importance to Chinese family-run firms, and by extension, to the continued growth of the Chinese economy. A badly handled succession can put a family firm in danger, wipe out an entire family’s savings and destroy family harmony.
