War and Peace in the Family Business
Years ago I facilitated a family business meeting in which two of the ownerbrothers started yelling at one another, then stood up, got in each other's face and almost threw punches. While probably...
May 18, 2012 in Conflict Resolution and Communication in Family Business
Years ago I facilitated a family business meeting in which two of the ownerbrothers started yelling at one another, then stood up, got in each other's face and almost threw punches. While probably...
May 18, 2012
Over the years many studies have shown that family businesses tend to trust their accountants above all other advisors.
May 18, 2012
With tax season finally over, you can see the light. So the last thing you may want to read is an article about what you should do after tax season -at least beyond your firm's aftertaxseason party...
March 18, 2012 in Succession and Estate Planning
At 52, youthful Jeff Topp and wife Jan prepare for a surprising second act: Instead of the hectic daily duties managing the family's grain elevator, 19,000 acres, seven crops and commercial and...
December 18, 2011 in Management Issues in Family Business
A few weeks ago, I moderated a breakout session at DTN's annual Ag Summit where two members of Lenz Farms of Wray, Colo., described their family farm's "boot camp" for beginners. With eight partners...
November 18, 2011 in Conflict Resolution and Communication in Family Business
If you follow any of my past articles, you'll see that I seem predisposed to keeping the family business intact. Sometimes, however, it seems too difficult to keep it together. Family history,...
October 18, 2011 in Conflict Resolution and Communication in Family Business
While working on the family farm one summer, my grandmother asked me why our family -- meaning my father and his siblings -- couldn't get along like the family who lived up the road from our ranch. I...
September 18, 2011 in Management Issues in Family Business
Many business owners say that their people are their most valuable asset. Without family members, business partners, and good employees possessing a range of talents, the business cannot grow or...
August 18, 2011 in Conflict Resolution and Communication in Family Business
Benjamin Franklin said that the only things certain in life are death and taxes. In family businesses -- especially those in agriculture -- there is often much uncertainty: the weather, the markets,...
July 18, 2011 in Conflict Resolution and Communication in Family Business
It seems that every family business has a belief about in-laws and their participation in the family business. Some welcome the in-laws into the operation. Some don't include in-laws in operational...