Family Business Director

Corporate Finance & Planning Insights for Multi-Generational Family Businesses

Valuation

How Are Business Valuations Prepared?

For family businesses that have never had an external valuation, there is likely to be some confusion as to what the process involves. In this post, we give a brief walk-through of the valuation process, from engagement through to issuance of the final report.

Valuation

When Does Valuation Matter to Family Businesses?

Why should family business leaders care about the value of their business? If the family is not contemplating a sale of the business, why does valuation matter?

Clearly, valuation matters a lot when it is time to sell. But valuation matters at other times as well. In this post, we describe four common valuation applications in family business.

Special Topics

How Long Will It Take to Sell My Family Business?

That Depends on the Type of Transaction …

In this week’s Family Business Director, Tim Lee, ASA, Managing Director of Corporate Valuation and John T. (Tripp) Crews, III, Senior Financial Analyst, discuss expectations around the timeline for your business transition or sale and summarize key points to keep in mind when driving towards an internal or external sale.

Planning & Strategy Special Topics

Don’t Read This Book

Don’t read this book if you run a family business that is flush with cash, growing like a weed, regularly enjoys drama free family dinners, has their succession plan for your grandchildren in order, and do not foresee any disruption to your business over the next few generations.
Assuming the above does not describe you perfectly, the Harvard Business Review | Family Business Handbook by Josh Baron and Rob Lachenauer is a comprehensive and useful tool for anyone involved with or working in their family business.

Performance Measurement Special Topics

Sanderson Farms Case Study

Cargill is one of the largest family businesses in the world. Earlier this year, we analyzed the Family Capital list of the world’s 750 largest family businesses; Cargill checked in at number 15 on that list, with annual revenue reported to be in excess of $110 billion. Cargill made headlines earlier last week for its acquisition (together with another family business, Continental Grain) of Sanderson Farms, a publicly traded poultry business (ticker: SAFM). It is not every day that family businesses acquire publicly traded companies, so the transaction is worth exploring a bit further.

Special Topics

The Potential Buyers of Your Family Business

An Overview of the Different Types of Buyers for Closely Held, Family Businesses

In this week’s Family Business Director, Tim Lee, ASA, Managing Director of Corporate Valuation and John T. (Tripp) Crews, III, Senior Financial Analyst, discuss internal and external exit options for you and your family business and summarize the possible buyers for your family enterprise.

Special Topics Taxes

Estate Planning Changes Update

It’s been over six months since we last took inventory of where we stood in the face of tax changes (increases) affecting estate planning. While we currently have some ideas on what to expect regarding the tax policy changes, the full picture remains murky. In this post, we try to clear up some of the murkiness by sharing what we are reading, listening to, and learning regarding tax changes and other factors affecting family businesses and estate plans.

COVID-19 Coverage Special Topics

5 Trends Facing Family Businesses Today

Back in the spring of this year, we discussed five broad economic indicators family businesses needed to keep their eye on. In this week’s post, we wanted to revisit those trends and see where we have come over the last four months, as well as what we are hearing from our clients on the ground.

Special Topics

A (Not So) Bold Prediction

The Rise of Non-Family Equity Capital in Family Businesses

In this post, we will take a quick look at the growing supply of capital seeking minority investments in family businesses, the sources of growing demand from family businesses for such investment capital, and how directors can best position their family businesses to thrive.

Consulting Services

Family Business Advisory Services

Mercer Capital provides financial education services and other strategic financial consulting to family businesses