多维-unit2-课文对照翻译-family business the next generation.pdf

Family business : the next generation 1 America is in the midst of one of the greatest wealth transfers in the history of mankind. Over the next 20 years, an estimated $15 trillion in assets will be transferred from one generation to the next. 美国正处在人类历史上最大的一个财富交接的过程中。在今后 20 年里，估计有 150 亿美元的资产将会转移到 下一代的手中。 2 Much of this wealth transfer will be in the form of family-owned businesses. But the viability of many these transfers is questionable. The fact is most will fail. Typically, only one out of three businesses is successfully transferred to the second generation. Survival of a family business into the third generation is a rare occurrence. 大多数的财富交接会以家庭企业的方式进行。但是很多情况下，财富交接的成功与否令人怀疑。事实上，大多 数的交接工作将会失败。一般来说，只有 1/3 的企业才能成功地移交到下一代手中。一个家庭企业能生存到第三代 是寥寥无几的。 3 Thousands of family businesses, some of the household names, will disappear over the next decade. The sad part is that many of them could survive with proper planning. For many, however, it may already be too late. The proper time to start planning the succession of a family business is not one, but three, not even five years ahead. Indeed, a comprehensive succession plan, which includes sophisticated estate planning strategies, generally requires at least a 10-year horizon to be properly structured. 在下一个十年里，数以千计的家庭企业，其中有些是家喻户晓的企业将会消失。糟糕的是许多企业只有进行适 当的规划才能勉强生存。然而，很多企业已为时已晚。一个家庭企业着手规划交接的适当时机不是提前一年，三年 甚至是五年进行的。确切地说，一个包括复杂的财产规划策略的综合性的交接计划一般至少要在十年的基础上才能 适当地完成。 4 Whether large or small, high-tech or low, public or private, every family-owned businesses is different. But regardless of how diverse they are, four key elements must be in place before a business can be successfully passed from one generation to another. 无论规模的大小，技术的高低或名气是否响亮，每一个家庭企业都是不一样的。但是无论怎样不同，在一个企 业顺利地交接到下一代之前，以下四个关键性的因素应计划到位。 5 Owners/founders are extremely driven and dynamic. Often they excel at more than one skill. In many cases, production experts are also marketing geniuses or skilled financiers. Replacing them may require more than one person. Therefore, family business owners should determine exactly how the business functions by creating organizational charts. Each key member of the succession process should create his or her own chart. These charts should then be compared. The differences will point to gaps in the management structure and highlight areas of misunderstanding and differences in perception. 业主/企业创建者不仅进取心强而且精力充沛。他们往往擅长多种技能。在很多情况下，他们既是生产专家， 又是营销天才或经验丰富的金融家。要接替他们的工作则需要较多的人。因此，家庭企业的业主应当通过制定组织 机构图来明确规定企业该怎样运作。参与交接过程的每个主要成员也应制定他们自己的组织机构图。然后，对他们 进行比较。各机构之间的不同点将表明管理体制上的差异、存在误会的主要方面及观念上的分歧。 6 Take Judy, for instance. Judy owns a software company and has three children-a computer whiz, a race car driver and one with a business degree but no interest in the company. In addition, Judy has a strong management team in place. In her case, she should consider giving ownership to her children, but continuing to have the management team run the business. 以朱蒂为例。朱蒂拥有一家软件公司，她共有三个孩子，一个是电脑天才，一个是赛车手，还有一个拿到了商 业方面的文凭但对经营公司却毫无兴趣。另外，朱蒂有一个强有力的管理队伍。根据她的情况，她应该考虑把公司 的所有权移交给他的孩子们，但是依然让她的管理队伍来经营他的公司。 7 Finding people from within the family, or from outside, to fill those spots may not be easy, nor happen overnight. Therefore, it is vital to develop an action plan and timetable early in the process in order to allow for an orderly transition of responsibilities. 在家庭内或家庭外物色适当人选担任这些职位是不容易的，或者说不是一夜之间可以敲定的。因此，提前制定 一个行动计划和时间表是非常重要的，以便职责的过渡井然有序的进行。 8 Few businesses, even family businesses, grow without the help of loyal employees. More often than not, they hold key positions in management. Therefore, you must keep your employers informed about long-range succession plans. Key managers must have a clear picture of where they stand and what their responsibilities will be in a succession-management structure. Develop a compensation and benefit structure that is sufficient to attract and retain key managers as well as to motivate them to perform in the best interests of the business and the family. 没有忠心耿耿的雇员，很少有企业能发展壮大，即使是家庭企业也是如此。这些尽职的雇员多半担任了主要的 管理职务。因此，应该将关于产业继承的长远计划随时通报给他们，而主要的企业管理人员必须清楚地知道他们在 产业交接管理机构中的职责。改进企业的劳保福利制度以吸引和留住主要的部门经理，激发他们的积极性，使他们 能为企业和业主的最大利益而工作。 9 There is also the matter of timing. The children you hope will take over may be too young or inexperienced when you retire. In such cases, transitional management teams may be formed to provide interim management until the children are properly trained and seasoned to be in a position to manage the business successfully. 还有时机的选择问题。 当你退休时， 你或许认为能接管公司的孩子们太年轻了或太没有经验了。 在这些情况下， 可组建过渡性质的管理队伍直到孩子们获到了适当的培训和锻炼并且能成功地担任要职管理公司。 10 Establish a clear employment policy for family members and stick to it. Most parents believe their children should be treated equally. Company executives, however, must be selected on ability. Selection should be made on the needs of the business rather than on the needs of the children. 为家庭成员制定明确的雇佣政策并持之以恒。大多数父母认为孩子们应该平等对待。然而，公司的总裁必须根 据能力来选择，应该根据业务的需要而不是孩子们的需要来选择。 11 For example, Jim owns an electric company. He treats his three children equally-all three work for the company and receive the same salary. All three, however, do not work equal hours, nor are they all dedicated to the business. Instead of benefiting from the equality, there is discord and resentment in the company because only one child really works. 例如， 吉姆拥有一家电力公司。 他平等地对待他的三个孩子， 他们三个都在该公司工作， 拿同样的薪水。 然而， 他们并没有花同等的时间工作，也不是都致力于公司的业务。由于只有一个孩子在真正地工作，在公司内部就有了 争吵和怨恨，平等对待并没有带来好处。 12 Parents can pass on their legacy to their children without necessarily giving them control of a company. When the children are not suited to take over the business-about 30 percent of the time -other methods can be found for them to share in the family wealth. 父母可以把他们的财产转给孩子们而不必让他们控制公司。当孩子们不适合接管公司的业务-这种情况约 占 30%,可寻求其他的方法让他们共享家庭的财富。 13 However, if you do determine that a child will carry on the business, you should be sure your choice is capable. Ensure that he or she will receive the right education and business experience. 然而，如果你真的决定让一个孩子接管企业，你就应该肯定你的选择是正确的。你要保证让他或她接受适当的 教育和经商的体验。 14 Outside job experience is extremely useful for children who will one day assume control. Working outside the family business can give them valuable experience, expose them to differing management styles and give them the confidence to know that their successes are their own. Often they will receive better mentoring and more opportunities to take responsibility than they would in the family business. Proving themselves outside the family business also gives children greater credibility with employees when they do eventually take control of the family business. 雇工, 雇员;对于将来要接管公司的孩子来说，在外面的工作经验是相当有用的。在家庭企业之外的工作会让 他们获得有价值的经验，接触不同的管理方式，给他们信心让他们了解到他们的成功是属于他们自己的。通常他们 会比在家庭企业里得到更好地锻炼和更多担当职责的机会。在家庭企业外证实自己的价值也会最终使他们在接管家 庭企业时能让雇员们对他们产生更多的信任度。 15 For those families that insist their children begin their careers at the family business, children should start at the level that their education and experience justify-even if it means sweeping floors, operating a machine on the factory floor, etc. The experience will be invaluable. In addition, working their way up from the bottom will increase their respect among employees and management. In our experience, children who develop in this manner are twice as likely to succeed as children who assume unearned executive positions. 对于那些坚持要孩子们在家庭企业里开始其职业生涯的家族而言，应让他们从与其教育和经验相称的阶段开始， 即使这意味着擦地板或在工厂里开机器。这种经历是非常宝贵的。另外，自下而上的成功会增加雇员们和管理部门 对他们的尊敬。据我们的经验来看，以这种方式成长的孩子们成功地可能性是不劳而获得到总裁职位的孩子们的两 倍。 16 Rivalries and jealousies can be extremely time-consuming, not to mention destructive. Once children have grown, married and have children of their own, they are considered a separate family with different-and sometimes conflicting-ideas. If the business is large enough, consider seating an outside board of directors to ensure that the interest of the family and business are properly balanced. 对抗和嫉妒是相当耗时的，更不用说具有毁灭性。孩子们一旦长大、结婚和生子，他们就被看成是一个独立的 家庭，有着不同的，甚至是相互冲突的思想。如果企业较大，可考虑设立一个董事会以确保家族与企业之间适当的 平衡。 17 Develop a family business vision document to make certain family members-as well as employees, suppliers and customers-understand the future of the company. Use family council meetings to communicate to all family members about the company and issues facing it now and in the future. 制定一份家庭企业发展规划，让家族成员还有雇员、供应商和顾客了解公司的未来发张趋势。召开家族会议， 与所有家族成员交流有关公司的情况以及目前和未来要面临的问题。 18 Companies and families that communicate often, honestly and on a timely basis increase their probability of surviving and prospering. 能经常、诚实、及时地进行交流的公司和家族同时也能增加生存和繁荣的可能性。 19 Poor estate planning has led to the demise of more family businesses than any other cause. In many of these cases, the liquidity needs caused by estate taxes due on the value of the family business are far greater than the business can absorb. 糟糕的地产规划比任何其他原因更会导致家庭企业的瓦解。在很多情况下，家庭产业价值中的地产税所造成的 资产流动要比企业能赚到的多得多。 20 In most cases, life insurance may be an effective way to cover estate taxes. However, the cost of life insurance for a business reinvesting most of its capital growing the business usually makes the insurance an impractical solution for the entire estate-tax dilemma. In most cases, there is a need to utilize other planning techniques to minimize estate-tax costs. 在大多数情况下，人寿保险费是支付地产税的一个有效的途径。然而，对于一个把大多数资金投入到发展业务 的企业而言，人寿保险费的成本之高通常是支付整个地产税的一个不切实际的解决办法。因此，有必要利用其他的 规划技巧来最大程度地减少地产税的成本。 21 That was the case for a grocery store owner who spent all of his capital on expanding the business and not buying insurance. Unfortunately, he died after completion of the renovations. There was nothing left to pay estate taxes, so the family had to sell the business. 有一个杂货店的老板正属于这种情况。他把所有的资金都投入到拓展业务上，因而没有买保险。不幸的是，在 店铺维修工作完成之后，他就去世了。由于没有钱支付地产税，家人只好卖掉杂货店。 22 With the help of your advisors, find ways to reduce or manage the transfer taxes. Again, it is important to start the process as early as possibl