Founders often give firms short life spans

ACCORDING TO ONE VETERAN ENTREPRENEUR, the average "shelf life" of a Chinese enterprise is about five to eight years, meaning that entrepreneurs must strive to improve their management as early as possible to break that cycle. Beijing Youth Daily commented on Monday:

It is no secret enterprises have a "life cycle" and that most business leaders in China reach their peak in five to eight years.

Whether enterprises can thrive beyond that depends largely on their ability to consistently push the boundaries. The dilemma facing most Chinese enterprises is the founding entrepreneurs, who find it hard to let go when need be.