In the best of worlds, a family business would thrive for many generations, providing inspiration and revenue for decades to come. Reality, alas, is usually more somber.“Only 30 percent of family businesses survive into a second generation, and only 17 percent into a third,” said Kathyann Kessler Overbeke, principal of GPS: Generation Planning Strategies in Beachwood, Ohio.Why? Too often the emotions of family members conflict with the demands of the bottom line. This happens in all kinds of family businesses, including auto service shops.“Family businesses are made up of two complex, overlapping systems,” Overbeke said. “One is family, and
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