Succession in our family business is unresolved

The parents have run the house for decades, the children work alongside them or have long lived elsewhere. Whether, when and how to hand over has never been discussed openly. Investments wait because nobody knows for whom.

Typical for: family hotels in their second or third generation · businesses with several possible successors · properties where investment is waiting for the handover

Documented by Hospis

Updated: 2 October 2026

How you recognize it

  • Set a fixed date for a first family conversation on this topic alone.
  • Clarify who wants to run the house, who wants to work in it and who only wants to remain a stakeholder.
  • Describe which tasks and decisions are to be handed over, and when.
  • Have the business valued so everyone talks about the same numbers.
  • Bring in tax and legal advice early on the form and timing of the handover.
  • Agree on an external facilitator if family conversations get stuck.

Matching Hospi

Josef Walch

Josef Walch

Digitalisation · AI in operations · Systems · Lech am Arlberg
Works with protel · Mews · Mews POS · Smart Host
AdviseImplement

Knows the handover from his own family, second generation in a family hotel in Lech: guides the conversation, roles and timetable so the decision isn't left to chance.

Mapped to root cause
The conversation doesn't happenUnclear roles
View profilePersonally vetted · independent match

Matching software

Tools appear here next to the problems they solved, marked as partners, with honest limits and the person who runs the rollout. No ranking.

Partner slot

Your software could be listed here.

No partner has documented a solution for this problem yet. A partner profile shows the problems your tool solved, its honest limits, and your implementation person as a Hospi.

Which path fits your situation?

01

Diagnosis

390 € fixed price

A vetted Hospi analyses your situation in a structured way, in conversation and with a written result. Every statement clearly labelled: FACT, BENCHMARK, HYPOTHESIS or CONCLUSION. You get a concrete path, not a sales meeting.

  • A legitimate outcome is also: no engagement needed.
  • If an engagement follows, the diagnosis fee is fully credited.
02

Urgent support

Acute situation? Your case is reviewed with priority, with a response within 48 hours.

Cause fields and how to tell them apart

Succession is the hardest decision in a family business, because the business, the assets and the family are all affected at once. If it's put off, chance often decides in the end, and the property loses years.

These fields are complete, and many properties get there on their own. That is what this page is for. The cost simply does not appear on an invoice: internal hours, a few attempts, and a season that keeps running in the meantime.

01

The conversation doesn't happen

How you spot it

Everyone knows it's coming, nobody raises it. Out of consideration, fear of conflict, or because day-to-day business always comes first.

The way out

Create a deliberate setting: a fixed date, clear questions, external facilitation if needed. The first conversation doesn't have to decide anything. It just has to happen.

02

Unclear roles

How you spot it

The younger generation works in the business but may decide little. Or it already decides without that being official.

The way out

Hand over responsibility step by step, with clear areas and a timetable everyone knows.

03

Investments are on hold

How you spot it

Renovation and modernisation get postponed because it's unclear who will bear the consequences.

The way out

Link investment decisions to succession planning and make them together with those who will run the house.

04

Fairness between siblings

How you spot it

One child runs the business, the others expect their share. That weighs on both family and business.

The way out

Talk early and openly about leadership and assets, and develop a solution with experts that doesn't overburden the business.

Frequently asked

When should we start succession planning?
Much earlier than most people think. A good handover takes years, because roles, financing and tax questions all take time. In Austria, according to KMU Forschung Austria (survey of 572 tourism businesses, November to December 2022), three quarters of the businesses plan a handover, and 59 % of all businesses surveyed plan one within the next ten years. More than half of those handing over (56 %) intend to hand over within the family, and around six in ten want to stay active in the business afterwards. That role needs clarifying early too.
Do we need outside help?
For legal and tax matters, definitely. For the family conversations, a neutral person who understands the business and has no stake of their own often helps.
What if nobody in the family wants to take over?
Then there are other routes: leasing, an operator model, a sale, or external management with family ownership. Looking at these options early takes pressure out of the decision.

Describe your situation

The problem context is automatically included, you do not need to repeat anything.

Problem
Succession in our family business is unresolved

We use your details only to answer your request. Details are in our privacy policy.