Family Business

We understand the unique challenges faced by family businesses and, through closely working with them, have helped to address and solve the competing conflicts that often arise between family and business.

BDO Centre for Family Business (BDO CFB) stands apart and is the UK’s longest established organisation focused on advising family owned businesses and the families behind them.  There is no such thing as a typical client for us.  We have worked with businesses all over the world, from diverse cultures, sectors and generations.  Our clients range from first generation businesses with one shareholder to multi-generational businesses with over a hundred shareholders.  We have produced a number of publications which are available on request.

Today we are acting as independent, neutral advisers and more importantly with no family involvement or bias, our experience can provide you with other people’s hindsight to avoid the predictable pitfalls ahead, as well as help promote education on issues affecting family businesses and encourage discussion within the family.

We are members of key sector and professional groups such as The Institute for Family Business (IFB), the independent membership association which supports the UK family owned business sector through Advocacy, Education and Research and licensed by the Family Firm Institute (FFI) – the International body for family business advisers.

Our advisory services that we offer to assist the Family Businesses Community worldwide include:

• Vision and values
• Succession planning
• Family office and philanthropy
• Governance
• People and organisations
• Planning the next generation
• Business strategy

We work very closely with our clients to enable them to find the most positive way forward.  We work to facilitate discussion between the family and the business, helping to clarify the boundaries of each and allowing individuals to better understand their roles, responsibilities and privileges.

No two family businesses are the same – nor are the commercial or competitive pressures that affect them.  For that reason, we tailor our approach to the specific needs of the family and the business involved in each assignment we undertake.