A blessing for the next generation’s new business venture
Proverbs 16:3
Family businesses, and the industries in which they operate, mature over time. A company that began in survival mode becomes stable. Revenue increases. Customers grow. More opportunities arrive. But at some point the business, or your energy, begins to plateau. You sense that a shift in your approach is needed to continue your growth trajectory.
And therein lies the beauty of a “family” business. The next generation shows up with passion and excitement, with the energy to propel the company to new heights. Many times they bring a new idea, approach, or new business venture to help start the next climb.
This blessing recognizes the success of the senior generation’s endeavors, denotes a sense of impending change, and expresses hope (and a little caution) for the next generation’s efforts.
Your longstanding work, embodied in this business Has benefited so many of those around you Your family, staff, customers and community Have been blessed by your labor and commitment. This business started by you, or perhaps passed to you Has enriched you while concurrently opening doors of promise Like a rope woven with strands of reputation and legacy Holding you taut between the past and the future. But you now sense the trajectory of your firm is shifting Your mature business needs to evolve New ideas, technologies, constraints, or shortages Foster a ripening environment for change. Ah, the next generation has arrived with their ideas, their hope, their energy! Offering the rocket fuel you need for lift off Although you wonder if they fully appreciate The decades you spent building the platform for their launch. The senior generation, with their wisdom and capital Offers guidance and assurance, but also caution and convention Will they let go long enough to let this new bird fly? As your family company embarks on this new venture, may God bless you with A clear vision for how your efforts will make this world a better place A solid strategy to navigate new territory and unfamiliar competition A good match between each person’s gifts and the roles they will play Insight to see, and wisdom to learn from, the mistakes you will make Success that allows you to share God’s love with those you work with and serve.
Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established. (Proverbs 16:3)
Prior blessings: For a family member recovering from addiction, for a sibling partnership, for the end of a family business partnership, for grandparents in the family business, for those experiencing family estrangement, for your estate planning efforts, for a family business gathering, upon the passing of a family business member, for rest, for the next generation’s return, for the senior generation letting go, and for the new year.