Family Business Center
Equipping, training, and connecting family-owned businesses in the Southern California region
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Message from the Director
"With over 17 years as a second-generation family business working in my family business, I'm very familiar with the benefits and challenges that come with the territory. Because of this experience, my passion is to help family businesses thrive.
My scholarly research is on family businesses and I've written two textbooks on the subject. I've written numerous articles about family dynamics, conflict mitigation, and family business governance. When not teaching classes, I perform research on family-owned businesses, provide workshops and seminars, and advise family firms.
The Family Business Center is affiliated with the Dr. Robert K. Jabs School of Business at California Baptist University (CBU), where I am a professor of Business. I founded a program here at CBU where Business Administration students can add a concentration in Family Business Studies so that they are more prepared to add value to their family business and develop into eventual successors.
I'm available to discuss your experiences in your family business and whether membership in the Family Business Center may be right for you."
Keanon Alderson, MBA, PhD
Professor of Business, the Dr. Robert K. Jabs School of Business
Here is my article in the Journal of Family Business Management entitled "Conflict management and resolution in family-owned businesses."
Common Pain Points for Family-owned Businesses
Family-owned businesses come with their own set of challenges including:
- Differing goals between family members
- Lack of succession planning
- Ineffective decision-making
- Absence of proper governance tools
- Need for outside advisors with a neutral perspective
- Interpersonal conflict among family members
- 90% of a family's wealth may be tied up in the business
Keanon encouraged us through self-assessments that were pivotal to getting the right leaders into the right seats. He counseled us through the perspective of all family members and gave us tools to put us on a path to continue success through generations.
How Membership Works
What we do to strengthen family businesses.
Held every other month, these practical breakfast sessions finish in time for a full and productive day of work.
Learn from experienced subject matter experts who work with family businesses.
Valuable experts are curated based on their family business expertise
Sponsors serve as expert resources for members of the Family Business Center. Sponsors have expertise in the following fields:
- Banking
- Commercial Real Estate
- Wealth Management
- Legal
- Insurance
- Tax/Estate Planning
- Accounting
- Valuation
Members enjoy ongoing educational resources and training in topics like:
- Succession identification
- Successor leadership development
- Managing and preventing conflict
- Optimizing communication
- Improving decision-making
- Leading with multiple stakeholders
- Creating a board of directors
- Professionalization of the business with family/business governance
- Constructing a family constitution
- What to do if the next generation is not interested
- Family dynamics
- Working with non-family members
- Avoiding conflicts of interest
Share best practices with other like-minded family business members and socialize at meetings.
Resources
Free content to help strengthen family businesses is available to all Family Business Center members.
Explore the Differences Between Family and Nonfamily Businesses
Read the first chapter of Understanding the Family Business.
Increasing Business Effectiveness and Professionalism
Read the first chapter of Family Business Governance.
Inland Empire Business Edge Article
Read Family Business Governance: The Key to Increasing Effectiveness.
Overcoming the Challenges of a Family Business
Interview with Jeff Holler's "Bigger Than Business" podcast of The Capital Chart Room.
Read a Column in Pacific Coast Business Times
"The Secrets to a Happy Family Business" by Keanon Alderson, May 20, 2023
Family Business Center Newletters
Stay connected with the Family Business Center – explore our insightful newsletters, delving into both past highlights and exciting upcoming meetings.
Family Business Assessment
The purpose of this assessment is to quickly and efficiently obtain information regarding the business and the families involved. This assessment is designed to be completed by all family members owners and family member employees involved with the family business in order to identify key areas for improvement. After you finish the assessment, contact us and we will work out a time to discuss the results and next steps with you.
Let's Connect
Fill out the contact form to connect with me, particularly if you have at least two family members who work in the business and have annual sales that are at least $5 million. You can also call me directly at (909) 963-6291. I look forward to assisting you to make your family business the best.
Keanon Alderson, MBA, PhD