Practice Insight
Practice insights are articles submitted by practitioners, such as entrepreneurs, consultants, managers, and venture investors. These articles undergo editorial review but are not peer reviewed.
Founder resistance is often more complicated than control. Empathy can help families understand what founders are trying to protect — and what their continued involvement may be preventing. Read More...
Category: Practice Insight
Author: Paul Edelman
Families often struggle to decide whether shares should be divided equally among children or reflect leadership, sacrifice, and “sweat equity.” In family businesses, few conversations generate Read More...
Category: Practice Insight
Authors: Claudia Binz Astrachan , Lindsay Hardie and Joseph Astrachan
Venture debt can help startups extend their cash runway without giving up more equity. Marshall Hawks explains how it works, who qualifies, and when founders should consider it. EDITOR'S NOTE: Most Read More...
Category: Practice Insight
Authors: Peter Birkeland and Marshall Hawks
From death and divorce to disruption and disrepute: these 12 hidden risks can weaken family enterprises over time. Family enterprises are often admired for their long-term orientation, strong values, Read More...
Category: Practice Insight
Authors: Matthew Crudgington and Peter Vogel
Porter’s Five Forces, SWOT analysis, customer value propositions, and unit economics are not just for big companies. Used together, they can help entrepreneurs understand competition, sharpen Read More...
Category: Practice Insight
Author: Joseph Giglio
When decisions become emotionally charged, it becomes harder to think clearly just when clear thinking is needed most. A family business leader said to me recently, “We need to make a decision, but Read More...
Category: Practice Insight
Author: Paul Edelman
Boards routinely scrutinize financial and strategic risk. But talent shortages, leadership culture problems, and succession gaps can erode long-term value just as quickly. People risk belongs on Read More...
Category: Practice Insight
Authors: Claudia Binz Astrachan and Lars B. Sonderegger
AI can speed analysis and recommendations, but it cannot build trust or regulate conflict. Here's why Brain Capital -- judgment, resilience, and governance maturity -- will determine whether family Read More...
Category: Practice Insight
Author: Doug Gray, PhD
A franchisee will take some risk, like an entrepreneur, but will have far more discretion in the operation of their business than an employee. You can hardly go through any town in America without Read More...
Category: Practice Insight
Authors: Peter Birkeland and John Francis
Will Your Family Brand Survive New Leadership? As trillions in family-owned companies shift to next-generation leaders, one critical asset is being ignored: the brand. Here’s why brand value—often nearly 20% of enterprise worth—erodes Read More...
Category: Practice Insight
Author: Meghan Lynch