A recent article on KPMG Family Business website gives some insights into Succession in the Family Business.

The Spring 2012 report of the Swiss Private bank Pictet & Cie, includes two interesting articles on Family Business Succession.  One being an academic perspective from INSEAD and the other being a practitioner view from Pictet read more

A recent article in Irish Farmers Journal written by Pat O’Keeffe states that a national survey of farmers aged over 50 has found that 48% do not have a farming successor identified. This is one of the preliminary findings from a national 'Land Mobility and Transfer' study, organised by Macra na Feirme in conjunction with the IFA and the Irish Farmers Journal.

Click here to read more (http://www.farmersjournal.ie/site/farming-Almost-half-of-farmers-over-50-have-no-successor-15887.html )

Family Business Ireland will formally launch the new website www.familybusiness.ie on December 4^th. This new website will make it easier for Family Business owners to access information and locate Professional Service providers.

There is a library of free to download information/templates/documents relevant to Family Business owners.

There will be relevant case studies of Irish Family Businesses, along with a directory of Family Business professional service providers in all 32 counties.

European Family Businesses is the EU federation of national associations representing long-term family owned enterprises, including small, medium-sized and larger companies.

European Family Businesses General Assembly – ‘Strengthening family business: an Irish perspective’ takes place on Tuesday 4th December, Shelbourne Hotel, Dublin.

The objectives of European Family Businesses are to promote a full understanding of the key role of family-owned enterprises in Europe’s economy, to press for policies that will support the creation of a level playing field for family businesses compared to all other types of companies, and to ensure recognition of their contribution to the entrepreneurial culture and social cohesion in Europe. In addition, European Family Businesses represents and supports the next generation of entrepreneurs.

Family businesses make up more than 60 % of all European companies, and they account for about 40 % - 50 % of employment, encompassing a vast range of firms of different sizes and from different sectors. Most SMEs (especially micro and small enterprises) are family businesses and a large majority of family companies are SMEs. Family Businesses constitute to a substantial part of existing European companies and have a significant role to play in the strength and dynamism of the European economy.

EFB in Dublin

To coincide with the upcoming Irish presidency of the European Council, EFB is collaborating with the Irish family business community to highlight problems, via two separate panel discussions, that need addressing at community level. SME and Entrepreneurship policy are rightly being prioritised by the European Institutions, and EFB hopes to complete the understanding of family businesses, which tend to be mostly SMEs, so as to ensure that policies formulated in Europe are ultimately conducive to growth and prosperity. EFB is collaborating with JJ O’Connell of Family Business Ireland and Philip Mackeown of Family Business Network Ireland, to ensure that we have a fruitful discussion via the presence of local family business owners.

Dr Cecilia Hegarty recently launched her book “Family Business Succession: A Briefing”

A ‘family business’ is an operating business in which members of the same family have most of the power. Family businesses face increasingly complex issues that affect not only the future of the business itself, but also that of its owners, their family and their employees. Always, the owner must reconcile their own and their family’s aspirations with the commercial goals of the company. The chances of family business survival can be increased if the life-threatening questions are tackled ‘early on and head-on’ and all key stakeholders are involved in planning the future of the company and their role in it. This brief guide provides family business owners, family members and non-family employees working in family firms with guidance for succession planning.

Dr Cecilia Hegarty conducted her PhD research into the dynamics of owning and operating family enterprises in Ireland and acts as a mentor and consultant to family businesses in the area of succession planning.