There is a way to build a successful, multi-generational family business that doesn’t suck every last ounce of energy out of you. It starts with giving up the notion: “I/we will figure it out (X) on our own.” That mentality leads to a long, arduous journey that often ends up in failure.

The High Center for Family Business, which is run out of Elizabethtown College in Lancaster County, is expanding into Berks County. 

When I began my career in family business consulting nearly 20 years ago, I met Dean Fowler, one of the early thought leaders in the field of family business and author of several books, most notably Love, Power and Money.

Tolino Vineyards is an artisanal winery owned by the Tolino family in Bangor. Their wines are hand crafted from grapes grown in their onsite vineyard. Business is in the family’s blood, starting with Tolino’s Fuel Service in 1955.  Mandy Tolino is general manager of the vineyards and a third generation of the family business.

A recent family business survey conducted by the National Bureau of Economic Research’s Family Business Alliance indicates that only 15% of the family businesses have developed and documented anything appearing to be a succession plan. This is troubling because succession of ownership and leadership is a critical issue for the long-term success of a business. 

If you’re about to join your family’s business, or you’re an entrepreneur starting your own, the last thing you want to think about is, “What if something goes wrong?”

The melancholy aphorism from “shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves in three generations” describes how too many family businesses transition from start up to tear down by the time the founder’s grandchildren are ready to move into the corner office.

As a financial adviser, Dennis Morton has integrated his academic background in history and finance with his professional background as an Army officer and entrepreneur. Along with his partner, Katie Brown, they have drawn on our decades of combined experience and designed Morton Brown Family Wealth to advise families, including business owners, on their unique ...

R&R Provision of Easton is a family-owned and operated food distributor and manufacturer specializing in custom-cut steaks and meats. Now in its 85th year, the company is looking to keep serving its niche clients in the restaurant and food service world.

Lauren Albright has a demanding job with her family's imported tile business in Allentown. There are design consults, international orders to be placed and staff to manage. But, what few Creative Tile customers know is that Lauren also faces the demands of a chronic, life-long illness called Cystic Fibrosis.