Our Latest Articles

October 25, 2020 - Issue #15

Research Reveals How Business Families Have Coped With COVID-19 Research Reveals How Business Families Have Coped With COVID-19 Researchers surveyed more than 1,000 family businesses around the world to see how they're handling the pandemic. Here is what they learned.
Whitney Peake

Editor's Pick

Whitney Peake

Staying Strong During a Crisis

In this podcast, Jonathan Flack, CPA, the U.S. family business services leader at PwC, talks about how family businesses are weathering the pandemic's economic crisis, and the unique strengths that are helping them survive. He also shares advice for family business leaders about communicating with staff and stakeholders. https://www.journalofaccountancy.com/podcast/how-family-businesses-can-stay-resilient-during-coronavirus.html

Journal of Accountancy, April 30, 2020

Women: Regain Your Professional Footing Women: Regain Your Professional Footing Covid-19 has upended the traditional balance of work and family, which was never easy to begin with. In this article, Elizabeth Bagnall and Susan Laverick of Beaufort Group Consulting show how to reclaim personal boundaries and move forward.
Family Members Can be Valuable Mentors Family Members Can be Valuable Mentors Entrepreneur, philanthropist and author Simran Mohinani has great role models among her family members. She talks about balancing the family and mentor relationships and offers advice for future family business leaders and women.
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A Crisis Playbook for Family Businesses A Crisis Playbook for Family Businesses

As the numbers of coronavirus cases rise in many places, this HBR article from late April is as important now as it was back then.

The Resilient Family Enterprise The Resilient Family Enterprise

This first article in a new series by Deloitte looks at how COVID-19 brings new focus to family business issues like succession planning and values.

Podcast Focuses on Crisis Management Podcast Focuses on Crisis Management

Check out my discussion with Professor Torsten Pieper of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte about his research into how family businesses are responding to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Hero Myth in Family Businesses The Hero Myth in Family Businesses

This fascinating article in Tharawat magazine explores the role of storytelling, especially about family business founders and their resilience in the face of adversity.

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Why Every Family Business Leader Needs a Peer Group
by Justin Smith / Applied and Practice

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...

Can a Family Business Consultant Really Help? Nine Experts Explain What Families Often Miss
by Holly Eddleston and Kimberly Eddleston / Practice Insight

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...

Build a Family Governance Talent Pipeline Before You Need One
by Claudia Binz Astrachan / Applied and Practice

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-Owned' or 'Family-Run'? The Words You Use Can Affect Customer Trust
by Sabrina Finkbeiner, Jan-Philipp Ahrens, Christoph Burmann, and Michael Schade / Research Insight

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...