Not every child who receives financial assistance from their parents achieves the same level of success. And some consequences go beyond profit and loss when it comes to family. As a result, both parents and their entrepreneurial offspring should approach any startup financing with professionalism and business acumen.
The world of private equity investing can teach parents and children how to work together on a new enterprise without making Thanksgiving dinner unpleasant.
Genuine Risk, Real Investment
The procedure should begin with the parents proving that any financial support they provide is not a gift. Instead, failure should get accompanied by probable consequences, such as a reduction in a child’s inheritance. Parents, like private equity investors, should expect regular reports and complete openness about the company’s performance.
One option for a young entrepreneur to get things started professionally is to propose their business idea to a non-family member who gets experience in the industry. As a parent, you should expose your child to business contacts so that he can pitch his idea and check if it smells good. You might quarrel if you make them present the concept to you first if you don’t believe it’s a good one, according to Joseph Stone Capital.
If the child has a good idea, the next stage for the parents is to demand a detailed business plan. Parents should demand that their children explain everything in detail, from the estimated launch costs and ongoing expenses to the potential market size of the opportunity they plan to pursue, to the margins they expect to attain, just like any private equity investor. Frequently, children should be able to communicate their growth and revenue predictions, as well as a timeframe for when they intend to reach specific milestones and targets.
What are the expected milestones, and when do they hope to reach them? Do they believe the business should be successful after the first year or cash-flow profitable after two years? You must have a multi-year strategy that specifies where the firm should stand in terms of sales, costs, and profits over the year.
Starting with Clarity
When it comes to family, basic investment concepts aren’t always there, and individuals struggle with this. You must do a job of outlining expectations for both milestones and cures, as well as the solutions available if those milestones get not fulfilled. If you can establish them early on, parents won’t feel like they’re overstepping their bounds by asking for updates at specified times. Kids won’t feel like they get denied the opportunity to operate their own businesses, according to Joseph Stone Capital.
Parents should also choose how much return they expect on their investment early on. Whether it’s a loan or an equity investment, the terms will differ. Because the risk of a private equity investment is considerable, the expected return should be high. However, you don’t want to punish the child by setting an unrealistic return expectation because most families would be prepared to take a smaller return in exchange for assisting a family member and maybe boosting their overall wealth.