Every so often, a business family sends a protocol to be drawn up. It is signed, saved and mentioned at lunches. When the difficult decision comes, no one opens it.
The protocol orders what is discussed. It does not replace conversation.
The pain
The protocol orders what has already been discussed. It does not replace conversation. And the conversations that define the continuity of a family business are few, difficult and almost always have an emotional cost that someone must be willing to moderate. No document can be held by the family.
The risk
The difference between a family business that lasts three generations and one that is diluted in the second is rarely in the accountant. It depends on whether someone accompanied the conversation when it had to be had. Postponing it does not prevent it: it makes it more expensive. The doubt about who decides erodes the business before any change.
The gaze raises
We accompany owners, families and boards of directors in decisions that cross ownership, family and business: governance, succession, professionalization of management and continuity. First come the difficult conversations; then the structure, roles and rules; and at the end, the document that leaves a record of what was agreed. When the challenge involves legal, patrimonial or tax matters, we coordinate with trusted specialists.
Let's talk
If there is a pending conversation in your family business, it is advisable to have it before an emergency forces it.