Tag: family business advice

How to Weigh the Consequences of Selling the Family Business

A strong valuation is not enough. Families need to understand the emotional, relational, and governance consequences of selling before they commit. For many family businesses, selling is no longer Read more

A Family Illness Can Infect the Business, Too

Serious health problems can disrupt leadership, finances, customer relationships, and more. New research shows how family firms can prevent illness from becoming a business crisis. Family businesses Read more

Why PE Firms Want to Buy Your Family Firm (and Change it)

Family businesses are often viewed as ripe for operational improvement, making them especially attractive to private equity investors seeking value creation. EDITOR'S NOTE: This article was produced Read more

Give Future Leaders Exposure to Critical Roles

A job rotation program gives next-gens both hands-on experience and a working knowledge of different departments and important outside relationships. A family business’s future leaders may have Read more

New Family Business CEOs Must Claim the Seat, Not Just Inherit the Title

When a successor becomes CEO, the title may change overnight — but authority, identity, and trust do not. Next-generation leaders must act like the CEO before they feel like one. A successor takes Read more

What Family Businesses in Africa Can Teach Us About Women Leaders

Large family firms in countries such as Ghana, Kenya, and Madagascar show that women’s leadership can thrive when families widen their view of succession. In many parts of the world, businesses are Read more

When Keeping the Business in the Family No Longer Makes Sense

A study of German family businesses showed that as intra-family succession becomes more difficult, families are increasingly open to selling — and intermediaries are emerging to help match owners Read more

Why Family Business Founders Struggle to Step Back During Succession

Founder resistance is often more complicated than control. Empathy can help families understand what founders are trying to protect — and what their continued involvement may be preventing. Read more

When every problem feels urgent, it often signals an inability to prioritize. Leaders need to identify why this is happening, and develop protocols for moving forward. When a company leader complains Read more

Fair Does Not Always Mean Equal: Ownership Decisions in Family Business

Families often struggle to decide whether shares should be divided equally among children or reflect leadership, sacrifice, and “sweat equity.” In family businesses, few conversations generate Read more