Who We Work With

Our clients have one thing in common.
They are all successful businesses with family members in the business.

They share a common set of challenges

  • Little discussion of the “family” in the context of the business — roles, policies, procedures, vision.
  • Unfamiliarity with “best practices” of multi-generational family businesses
  • Lack of professionalization
  • No understanding of the need and value of thinking in terms of generations ahead

Failure to address these factors, taken alone or in combination, can prevent the growth of the family business beyond its original owner-centric (hyperlink) form, and discourage ongoing innovation (hyperlinks) necessary for maintaining competitiveness in the marketplace.

 Family businesses and family wealth are not self-perpetuating.

 Worldwide, approximately 85% of all businesses are family businesses. Yet only about 10% survive past the third generation. Without careful planning, a hard-earned fortune and legacy can easily dissipate within a generation or two.

 A wide rage of attitudes can contribute to this failure to survive
Do any of these sound familiar?

    • I don’t know if either child is ready to take over the business.
    • Dad talks about retiring but he seems he’s afraid he’ll have nothing to do afterwards.
    • Dad talks about turning aspects of the business over to me, but can’t stop second-guessing and overriding everything I do.
    • I have two silent partners whom I trust. My son however, is concerned that he may wind-up with hostile partners should their shares pass on to their children.
    • I was planning on leaving the business to our two children who are working in it, but my wife reminds me that we have four children.
    • Dad does not feel I can lead the business because I am a woman.
    • I want to be sure I do this right!
    • The same arguments my children had as teenagers are getting played-out in the business.
    • I am depending on the equity I’ve built in the business to fund my retirement.
    • There is no vision for the family, let alone for the business, beyond what we currently do to take us into the next generation.

“Building a family business so that it continues
takes ongoing dialogue across generations about their vision for the company.”