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relationships

Family business – to sell or not to sell?

November 1, 2007

In this article, the first of the new Families in Business debate section, Dennis Jaffe argues the benefits owners can expect from selling while Tom Davidow fights for the non-sale corner and keeping the business together for the next generation

Dennis Jaffe is a founding partner of Relative Solutions.
Tom Davidow is founder and principal of Thomas D Davidow & Associates, based in Brookline, MA.

Yes – seriously consider selling

Maintaining harmony with vital family meetings

September 1, 2007

Family meetings can be the ideal place to establish values and air the conflicts within the family business. Joseph H Astrachan and Kristi S McMillan explain how important these meetings can be and how you can get the most out of them

Joseph H Astrachan is executive director, Cox Family Enterprise Center.
Kristi S McMillan is director, Cox Family Enterprise Center.

My Own Family Relationships – a lesson

November 1, 2006

John Tucker is Director of the International Centre for Families in Business, University of Gloucestershire.

I am not an accountant or a solicitor. I do not deal with technical issues. I work with people, their fears, their dreams, their wants, their needs and their emotions. And, guess what, I have as many fears, dreams and and emotions as the clients I work with. The work I do as a family business consultant is up close and personal.

Blood pressure rises

September 1, 2006

The resignation that fractured the Murdoch dynasty has been the subject of intense media scrutiny. Melanie Stern sifts through the cuttings and finds that this private drama made public reveals that succession is one of the most incendiary of issues

Melanie stern is section editor of Families in Business

Surviving globalisation

May 1, 2006

With the threat of local competition being eroded by global challenges, family businesses need to strive towards increased flexibility, says Andrew Keyt. Good governance could be the key to keeping your business competitive in a quickly changing marketplace

Andrew Keyt is president of the US chapter of FBN International and executive director of the Loyola University Chicago Family Business Centre.

When the family is large

March 1, 2006

As a business family moves through the progressive stages of transition, there are the associated challenges of each stage to confront. None more so than when the family has exceeded the cousin collaboration. But don’t lose the family bond, writes John Ward

John Ward is principle of the Family Business Consulting Group. www.efamilybusiness.com

Engines at the ready

March 1, 2006

Red Rocket is a $150 million manufacturing and distribution company located on the outskirts of a major American city. The company’s focus is the manufacturing and distribution of children’s toy cars, trucks, ambulances, and helicopters etc.

Red Rocket is a $150 million manufacturing and distribution company located on the outskirts of a major American city. The company's focus is the manufacturing and distribution of children's toy cars, trucks, ambulances, and helicopters etc. This second generation company has been in existence since 1955. The company's workforce of 175 includes a sales team of 25 across North America, Europe and Australia. The company is family-owned and has always been profitable.

Keep it above board

September 1, 2005

Good office politics start with solid foundations so everyone – family members and non-family employees alike – know where they stand. Paul Dorf emphasises the value of employment contracts and outlines the issues to consider when preparing them

Paul Dorf is managing director of Compensation Resources, Inc, New Jersey, USA

Foul play and feuds

July 1, 2005

Families are melting pots for conflict. Add business to the equation and you have a fight on your hands. Bengt Hallqvist urges independent board members to take on the challenge of governance rainmaker, as he reveals his own worst-practice experiences

Bengt Hallqvist serves as an independent board member of five family companies in Brazil and Sweden, also chairing one remuneration and four audit committees. He is founder of the Brazilian Institute of Corporate Governance

High price of managing the family firm

July 1, 2005

Just earning a living and keeping afloat is stressful enough. But when you have the responsibility of running your own company – and the waters are muddied by family relationships – the fallout can be catastrophic for your health. Scott McCulloch reports

ICFB is a joint venture between Grant Thornton and the University of Gloucestershire