Our Latest Articles
//June 16, 2025 - Issue #144
Unready and Unadvised: The Silent Crisis in Family Wealth Transfer A study of 13,500 family firms shows that nearly half of heirs don’t know where the assets are -- and 3 in 5 wouldn’t know what to do if the founder died suddenly.
When Family Businesses Should Think Like Private Equity Firms Adopting all or even some PE investor strategies can add value and enhance competitiveness, especially when a successor takes over or the company may be sold. 
The Emotional Downside of Exiting Your Business While the money is nice, selling a business is not a happily ever after. Depression is not uncommon.
A Family Council Can Help Larger Families Stay Connected Consider one if your family business has 15 or more relatives involved, or multiple generations.
AI Adoption in Family Business: Balancing Trust and Tech Using AI can be risky in settings where confidentiality is key, but it can be indispensable in developing innovative services that clients expect. Here's how to harness it safely. 
A New Way to Resolve Extreme Conflict in Family Businesses Family members may feel “trapped” in conflicts, unable to resolve substantive issues without damaging their familial relationships. This often leads to disputes that persist for decades. 
Merging With Another Family Firm is Safer and Smarter Family business mergers enjoy greater harmony and better financial performance than mergers involving non-family firms.
Your Family’s Mental Model Might Be Fueling Its Conflicts Different ways of thinking shape how families make decisions, resolve tensions, and pass leadership across generations.
More than 300 peer-group meetings show what happens when family business leaders have a trusted place to talk with people who truly understand their challenges. Read more...
Family business consultants often create their greatest value in unexpected ways: helping families uncover the real reasons they're stuck, have difficult conversations, and make better decisions. Read more...
Don’t wait for a vacancy. Prepare family members now — through education, mentoring, clear expectations, and hands-on experience — to serve on boards, family councils, and committees. Read more...
Family businesses often promote their ownership and heritage to build trust. Research suggests that “family-run” may send a stronger message than “family-owned” — and that adding more heritage claims can sometimes backfire. Read more...
Editorial offices located at St Thomas University
Supported by the Richard M Schulze Family Foundation