Family Business Consulting

Business Families Must Get Real About Growth and Payouts

Sometimes the family grows much faster than the business, especially in saturated markets. This has deep implications for how we manage family and business expectations. When we talk to Read More...

Category: Practice Insight

Authors: Joseph Astrachan and George Manners

The Psychology of Effective Exit Planning: A Guide for Families and Advisors

Family firms can help the next generation move forward by understanding and supporting the emotional aspects of the exit for the current leader. Business advisors widely agree that the biggest Read More...

Category: Practice Insight

Author: Michael Klein

The HERO Model: How Family Enterprise Leaders Can Accelerate Change

Hope, Efficacy, Resilience and Optimism can make us better people and better leaders.  Here's how to cultivate it within ourselves. All leaders and advisors struggle with organizational Read More...

Category: Practice Insight

Author: Doug Gray, PhD

Family Firms Must Address Mental Health Challenges

Anxiety, depression, and other conditions disrupt business operations and strain relationships. Ignoring them won’t make them go away. In the world of family businesses, success often comes with a Read More...

Category: Commentary

Author: Andrew Keyt

With Women Directors, Strategy Disclosure Decreases Cost of Capital at Family Businesses

The decision to disclose strategy information is critical, as it reveals managerial actions, providing financial stakeholders with the information required to assess the firm’s competitive Read More...

Category: Research Insight

Authors: Rafaela Gjergji , Luigi Vena , Giovanna Campopiano , Salvatore Sciascia and Alessandro Cortesi

How Founders Can Stay Relevant When the Next Gen Takes Over

When it's time for a family business to have a new generation of leadership, it's often difficult for the first-generation founder let go. Founders, justifiably proud of the businesses they have Read More...

Category: Interviews

Author: Kimberly Eddleston

Family Business Stories Build a Legacy For the Next Generation

A great story, skillfully told, can shape attitudes and spur commitment and action. This is especially true at family businesses, where the stories and values of the family and business intertwine. Read More...

Category: Interviews

Author: Kimberly Eddleston

Attitudes Towards Money Can Cloud Family Business Decisions

In our work with business families, we encounter a wide range of approaches for establishing financial targets and making financial business decisions. Interestingly, such practices often diverge Read More...

Category: Applied and Practice

Authors: Claudia Binz Astrachan and Anneleen Michiels

Family Firms May Need More Legal Advice Than They Think

Families are often reluctant to anticipate and plan for the day when an unexpected transition might upend their business. The costs of inaction are high. EDITOR'S NOTE: This article was produced in Read More...

Category: Research Insight

Authors: Kajsa Haag , Hanna Almlöf , Marina Madsen and Mette Neville

Growing Pains: Helping a Family Office to Evolve

This case study invites students to identify the underlying issues, stakes, and potential pathways forward for a troubled family office. Students also explore problems surrounding the evolution of Read More...

Category: Education and Teaching

Authors: Torsten Pieper and Claudia Binz Astrachan