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The CEO Institute

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Planning For Exit & Succession

A well thought through succession plan and exit strategy is essential to every family business. What preparation is necessary to ensure the harmony and continuity of the business through the generations? For non-family business succession practices, go to Succession, IPOs & Mergers & Acquisitions.

Retirement In Family Business'

Over 56% of family business owners see themselves working in the business beyond 65 years of age.


Family Business Succession Planning

Lansberg (1988) describes succession planning as the process of making the preparations necessary to ensure family harmony and continuity of the business through to subsequent generations, emphasising that these preparations relate to the future needs of both the business and the family.


Sale Of The Family Business

It is noteworthy that 75% of family business owners indicate that they would seriously consider selling their business, if approached; with 46.2% reporting having been approached within the last five years.


Why Family Business Succession Plans Fail And What To Do About It

Many researchers have concluded that a staggering 90% percent of family businesses fail by the third generation. However, my own research reveals a glaring omission in almost every family business succession plan: Matters of the heart.


How To Succeed As Heir To A Great Entrepreneur

What an act to follow! Your father is Tom Watson, Henry Ford, John D. Rockefeller or George Bush. You may even share his name, but the life ahead of you seems fraught with peril. How can you possibly succeed?


Family Succession Begins On The First Day Of Work Free to view

Too often, a business owner comes to me with a problem of succession when it is too late. I am always aware of a refrain going through my mind - why did they wait so long? Why didn't they talk about these things before? Why did they let things go so far with such different sets of expectations in each of the major parties?


Family Business Mentoring And All That 'Jazz'

A family business founder is a tough act to follow. Mentors must prepare successors to bear the burdens associated with the role.


Nurture The Talent

Family businesses extending to the third and fourth generation have always been rare but with high proportions of potential family business successors undertaking higher education, there is a crisis developing in the family business sector with regard to succession.


Succession Planning In Family Businesses - Managing The Tax Implications

Succession planning initiatives for family businesses can be significantly impeded if the tax implications of the preferred courses of action are not taken into account by the owner.


Business Owners Shouldn’t Neglect Estate Planning

Business owners usually have some sort of a business plan. They also frequently have key-person insurance in place. Some even have a succession plan in mind, even if they have not fully articulated it or have set up the business in a way that helps them achieve their plans. But even if business owners have all such risk management approaches in place, the chances are they still do not have a properly developed estate planning approach.


Seven Golden Rules For Maximising Family Business Value

A Family Business can be a treasure, or a terrible trap, to the family and other stakeholders. Fortunately, there are some Golden Rules you can follow ...


Ensuring Continuity In Family Firms Free to view

The experience of family firms suggests that cultures do indeed change as new leadership takes over.


Culture And Continuity In Family Firms

In today’s turbulent times, family firms lead a tenuous existence. Indeed, most family enterprises do not start out as family businesses. Studies conducted by the AXA Family Business Research, Monash University, have found that approximately 35 percent of family firms survive through to the second generation.


Regeneration And Growth Of Family Businesses

How can family business owners use succession and transition between generations of owners in a family-owned or closely-held business as an opportunity to jointly regenerate the business and promote the health of the owning family?


The AXA Family Business Succession Planning Model

The following model of the succession planning process is influenced by life cycle and systems theories and are based on work with families in business, and research in the area. This model has been found to be effective in family business practice.


Overlap Between Business Plans And Family Plans

Strategic planning involves putting in place a course of action to achieve future goals and objectives. Since an owner’s departure from the business is inevitable, owners that engage in strategic planning are more likely to be prepared for the future continuity of their enterprises than those who do not.


Developing Leadership In A Family Business Free to view

Developing leadership in the successor generation is important to the survival and growth of family owned and managed businesses.


Career Planning In The Family Business

Owners of family businesses may well ask 'For whom is career planning important?' The answer is it’s important for everyone, not just the younger generation or younger employees in the firm. Career planning is even important for the senior generation.


Mentoring And Supporting The Designated Successor

For most family business owners, an integral part of the succession planning process involves mentoring and providing the necessary ongoing support for the designated successor.


Family Business Founders' Departure Styles Free to view

In family business literature the founder-owner-manager is viewed as the main influence in the family business and the leader’s final act is to leave the business.


Key Insights & Lessons In Family Business Succession

In his insightful book ‘Succeeding Generations’, Ivan Lansberg refers to a number of key lessons in family business succession which have been summarised in this article.


Continuity Planning In Owner-Managed Businesses

Where will your business be in 5 to 10 years, or such other time as you decide to retire?


Succession Planning In The Family Business - Critical Roles of Business Owners & Successors

In his insightful book Keeping the Family Business Healthy¹ to which readers are referred, John Ward provides some valuable advice to family business owners contemplating the issue of succession.


Benefits Of Continuity And Succession Planning In The Family Business

Whether or not it is intended that the business continue as a family business, firms that plan are more likely to achieve continuing growth, profitability and family leadership.


Succession In The Family Business - Passing The Baton

Succession planning is the ultimate management challenge.


Succession Planning In The Family Business

Awareness and acceptance are ONE of the necessary preconditions to successful succession planning in the family owned business.


A 10-Step Guide To Family Business Succession Planning Free to view

A family business seeks professional advice for a ‘business’ issue or problem. The solution suggested makes sense and a plan is agreed. The plan, however, is not implemented. Why?


The Human Resources Dilemma In Family Businesses

Family business owners often recount a similar tale of a sudden realisation of having to figure out which “person” their offspring was everytime they walked into their office - son/daughter, employee, or tenacious successor.


An Overview Of The Succession Process In Family Businesses

Most family enterprises do not start out as family businesses. Family businesses are usually the outcome of entrepreneurial individuals who pursue visions to start a business of their own.


How To Manage The Transfer Of The Business Effectively Free to view

Intergenerational business transfer is often poorly managed.


The Role Of Accountants In Family Business Succession Planning

Accountants are well positioned to provide succession planning advice.


Making The Commitment To Plan For The Future Of The Family Business

Family businesses possess a number of inherent competitive advantages. However, like other businesses, they face common challenges.