As this article from Tharawat Magazine points out the immediate reaction of most when you hear the word nepotism is a negative one. There are very often talented people within the family to come into the business but if they do, there will always… Read more

Family Businesses in focus in Somerset
Somerset is my home County and also home to many brilliant family businesses. It is great to see events like this being held and Caroline Gourlay is a great speaker. There are many highs and lows when working with family members and it is often… Read more

New Family Business Podcast Launched
A new podcast dedicated to providing interviews and insights from Family Businesses and their advisers has been launched. In these podcasts I interview Family Businesses on the challenges they are facing and how they have overcome these… Read more

Six measures to judge your business by
By Neil Loveday“Welcome to the accounting department, where everybody counts”. OK, there aren’t going to be too many accountants quitting the profession for a career in stand-up comedy – but they do bring skills to the table that your business may… Read more

When duty calls
Most news outlets seem to have missed the most important bit of Prince Harry’s statement – duties and greater good. If everyone was less busy claiming that no one wants to be queen or king, they would’ve heard that there WILL BE a new king or… Read more

7 Tips to create a thriving Family Business
There are a huge number of articles out there giving you tips galore on how to run your business. Most have sensible suggestions in them and this article is no exception. There is a great example in here of John D’Eri and his business, Rising… Read more

How to run a family business without killing each other!
This is a very useful article from Sam Prochazka on the steps that can be taken to avoid unnecessary conflict when working with family. I particularly agree with the point on making criticism constructive. We hear too often about general… Read more

Want to fire a family member? Here’s How!
Recruitment in family enterprises can be a tricky area, do you recruit based purely on merit, skills and work ethic, or do you try to find a role for any family member that shows interest in working in the business?Either way, it may not always… Read more

Planning for the unexpected
I am sure that we are all aware of the need to have a will in place and yet many people still don’t have a valid will. If you are a business owner have you considered the impact on your business, your employees, your customers and your family if… Read more

Succession and Governance
This is an interesting article. It looks at the challenges facing family businesses in Hong Kong. It highlights that there is a reluctance to recruit outside of the family and some of the issues that this can bring with it. This is not exclusive… Read more

The art of Communication
Effective communication is a key element in the success of any business, and this is no less true of family enterprises. The added family dynamic can often make it harder to communicate effectively but it is still very important. Understanding how… Read more

Don’t become a curator of your Family Business
Succession and Evolution are two very tricky subjects for families and a process that can be quite hard to get right. The successors of the family business can sometimes just become the curator of the family business, rather like a curator of a… Read more