Family Business Director is about the dollars and cents of family business.  How do we determine the right capital structure?  How should we allocate family capital to potential projects?  What is the best dividend policy for our family and our business?  What’s the appropriate redemption price for our shares?  Should we make an acquisition?

Those questions are important, and we are convinced that answering them well can go a long way toward promoting positive shareholder engagement and preserving family harmony.  Yet, we readily acknowledge that not every challenge facing family business has a dollar sign attached to it.

Over the past several weeks, we have seen a lot of great content from folks we respect and admire on leading a family business through turbulence, and thought that we would compile a sampling for the benefit of our readers this week.

• “How Family Businesses Can Respond to the Pandemic: Collaboration, Openness and Sharing the Burden,” by Dennis Jaffe of Wise Counsel Research
• “Leading Your Family Business During a Crisis,” by Stephanie Brun de Pontet of the Family Business Consulting Group
• “The Good News: Family Business, Resilience, and the Pandemic,” by Continuity Family Business Consulting
• Finally, BanyanGlobal Family Business Advisors is facilitating a survey of family business leaders to help us all get a better feel for how family businesses are adapting to the new reality. Throw in your two cents here.

We hope these resources will provide some much-needed encouragement and perspective for you this week.