Let’s not kid ourselves. There are rules everywhere. Do this, don't do that. Be this, don’t be that. Or say this, but don’t say that! And then there’s the implied rules, the ones that aren't written down anywhere, but we’re still meant to know them... somehow?! All of them – big, small and tiny – rule the way we act and react, [...]

7 Reasons Why You Should Attend a Family Business Conference So, you’ve read the headline and broken out in a cold sweat. Yep, mention the word ‘conference’ and it can make the best of us hide in a corner feeling awkward or bored out of our brain. But sometimes there are reasons to go to a conference that perhaps you just can’t, [...]

Family businesses are the unsung heroes of the Australian economy. They form the backbone of our economy – supporting more families, industries and sectors that you can probably imagine. To give you an idea of their magnitude, Australia’s largest family-owned business, Linfox Australia Pty Ltd, was internationally ranked 240 in the world’s 500 largest family-owned companies in 2015. It employs over 23,000 [...]

It never ceases to amaze me how many owners of businesses, especially family businesses, aren’t prepared for succession. They have never even considered succession planning. Sometimes I wonder if what they really want is stewardship. What’s the difference between succession and stewardship? Here are a couple of definitions of Succession. “a number of people or things of a similar kind following one [...]

Leon Gettler of The Business Specator wrote that all family businesses should have a code of conduct to help manage any conficts that arise. I spoke to Leon as he prepared the article, and he shared some of my thoughts in it. From my perspective, a code of conduct doesn't have to be difficult. Too often the process is couched in terms [...]

Family businesses are as alike as chalk and cheese. Each one is distinctly different, just like its family members. Each business has its own distinct personality, needs and dynamics, and those factors must be managed along with the family members as the business grows and passes from generation to generation. Given those complexities, what makes for the 'right' family business advisor? As [...]