Our latest insights

Conflict in family businesses – in fact, all businesses – is a reality of any workplace. Understanding the source of a conflict, and where tension triggers exist, can help businesses pre-empt, spot and manage clashes and turn these differences into positives.

Family businesses with plans are more likely to thrive. Having a solid plan the whole family helps to develop and evolve not only means businesses are more robust in the present, but also in a solid and sure position for future growth and opportunities.

When families come into large sums of money – typically from the sale of a business or property – the question often arises: ‘Do I gift this money now to my family or do I wait and include it in my estate?’

‘We have always done it that way.’ The seven most expensive words in a business, remarked Janine Allis from Boost Juice at the recent Family Business Australia conference.

When considering starting a Family Office, it is important to know the potential pitfalls that may affect your wealth position and how every family member has the potential to impact this wealth – positively and negatively. And many are often an untapped resource.

The complex multi-generation relationships in a family business define their success – and often underline their failures

Learn our five tips to any family member wishing to join the Family Office – and for the family wishing to appoint an official role

Well over half of all Australian family businesses do not have processes in place to deal with conflict, to clearly express the aim and goal of the business and to allow for transition and succession. Consulting a third party facilitator can assist with the formation of a governance structure. A facilitator provides a layer of independence as they are not emotionally involved, and serve in holding the family accountable, aiding in dealing with more sensitive matters.

A question we often hear is ‘what is a family office’? While any family can think about these same issues and investment goals, our family office start up allows families with a minimum of $2 million to invest to start a family office.

Traditional gender roles have seeped through family business in societies across all cultures, and the right of succession belonging to the first born child is still customary. What is the impact of this on the performance and operation of family businesses, and what does this mean for the next generation of family business owners?

The results from the Family Business Survey 2021 show 65% of family businesses with a succession plan wanted to keep the business in the family; but the most staggering statistic resulting from the survey was of the families who sat together and documented a succession plan, 66% do not have their estate plans in order.

Extended lockdowns have made for a challenging time for Australian businesses – but a new kind of normality is nearly on the horizon.