Family Business Entrepreneurs In Canada

SHIFT your Family Business was written for anyone who has ever worked in a family business or been part of a business family. Steve Legler grew up in one such family, and married into another, and in this, his first book, he examines the challenges that business families face, and gives readers lots of insights and ideas to help them face and overcome those challenges. Since clear, frequent, and open communication is the key to getting out of difficult situations, he walks readers through the steps of: (1) getting important conversations Started (2) getting Help from others to facilitate the discussions (3) Investing the time and effort necessary to gain the momentum to keep going (4) remaining Flexible with all their ideas and plans (5) Talking everything out to gain as much understanding and consensus as possible. He concludes with some thoughts that demystify governance, and invites business families to take on a "family office" mindset to stay focused and on track. SHIFT your Family Business is all about helping business families create the harmony they need to support the legacy they want.

A revealing look at twelve of Canada's prominent business families. From the corner grocery store to internationally recognized power corporations such as Molson Inc. and Ellis-Don Construction Ltd., Canadian family-owned businesses generate a combined sales volume of $1.3 trillion, employing an estimated six million Canadians. But what happens when the entrepreneurs who establish these great companies try to pass the baton on to the next generation?In the Bloodreveals that the unfortunate result is often disruption, pain and familial splits that can leave not only the fate of the company, but sometimes the communities who depend on them, hanging in the balance. However, family businesses do have a number of advantages over their counterparts, and with judicious planning, can continue into future generations. In these remarkably candid profiles, some of Canada's most prominent business families describe the successes and failures of their empires at the hands of family members. Gordon Pitts takes these stories further, offering observations and advice to those trying to avoid family strife while building empires of their own.

A collection of articles by Canadian scholars that examines the nature of the entrepreneurial process at the national and regional levels. The book presents emerging research and scholarly perspectives on the roles of innovation, entrepreneurship, and family business in western Canadian economic development. Includes conceptual pieces, theory-building exercises based on field research, literature reviews, large-scale empirical studies, and presentations of new methodological advancements that further research in the field of business.

"If you want to read about...fascinating can-do business builders by two razor-sharp doers themselves, this is the book. If you want to disprove the ugly myth that 'Canada' and 'entrepreneurial' do not compute in a single sentence, this is also the book. Open it up and get acquainted with a bevy of compelling characters who reveal how they've don it and get their tips on how you can do it, too." —Edward Greenspon, Editor-in-Chief, The Globe and Mail "I am neither a businessman an entrepreneur, but this book gave me practical ideas on how to better cope in an industry that, like so many others, is changing at the speed of light. Brody and Raffa chronicle some amazing and inspirational Canadian success stories and in doing so offer valuable lessons on how to harness teamwork, creativity and - above all - passion into any workplace." —Scott White, Editor-in-Chief, The Canadian Press LEARN THE FINE ART OF MANAGEMENT FROM LEADERS ADN ENTREPRENEURS AROUND THE WORLD... ...ALL OF WHOM HAPPEN TO BE CANADIAN. Lessons on teamwork from Homer Simpson? World-renowned architect, Moshe Safdie, on organizational design? Joe Boxer, guerilla marketer? How can vision turn a single Toronto motel into the global luxury Four Seasons chain? Isadore Sharp shares his insights. How can anybody sell a multimillion-dollar pharmaceutical company in just one week? Leslie Dan Tells you how he did it. Everything I Needed to Know About Business...I Learned From a Canadian offers first-hand insights, experience, and best practices from twenty-four business and culture leaders, all of whom have achieved excellence in a particular area of business,at home and on the world stage. Some are household names, others are barely known outside their own industry, but they all share the secrets of their amazing success. New to this Second Edition are four brand new chapters on luminaries such as Stewart Butterfield, the mind behind Flickr; and Graydon Carter, Editor-in-Chief of Vanity Fair. With additional mini-profiles of four entrepreneurial up-and comers, this new edition offers more advice and inspiration than ever. Each chapter features "5 Things You Need to Know" - the essential lessons from the leaders and entrepreneurs who have been there and done it all. You'll learn the best of business wisdom, get practical advice on company building, and discover how to prosper in one of the most challenging market environments in history. This book offers management lessons that are as entertaining as they are instructive, all built around the deep thoughts and insights of leaders who are the best in business. The authors are graciously donating all of their profits from the sale of this book in Canada to young Canadian entrepreneurs who are trying to make our world a better place.

Women are starting businesses at three times the rate of men. This discussion paper is based on interviews with over 200 women who own small businesses. It includes a profile of the women entrepreneurs, explores barriers for these women, and suggests directions for public policy that would support the efforts of women entrepreneurs to escape the isolation they find themselves experiencing that prevents them from reaching out to seize the opportunities that surround them.

As the first wave of Canadian baby boomers retire over the next few years, succession planning will be vital for the long-term survival of many businesses. Canada is about to see a huge transfer of wealth from this generation to the next, yet many businesses struggle to ensure a smooth transition of business management and ownership. For family-owned companies, the ramifications may be even more sweeping. The personal issues they face, compounding other day-to-day business concerns, range from planning for income taxes to maintaining interpersonal relationships with family members. A good succession plan will manage a range of issues, such as people and talent, family dynamics, corporate structure, estate planning, insurance and share transfer, to name just a few. Who Will Take Over the Business? is for any business owner who wants to retire, sell, or transfer ownership of their business. It is designed to guide business owners through a comprehensive and strategic approach to the business succession process to ensure that the transition is carried out as smoothly as possible. Who Will Take Over the Business? is a must-have resource for every Canadian business owner.

Eight out of ten Canadian businesses are family-run, and some of those businesses drive the wealth of Canada's very-high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth families. These are people who want their families to be as successful as their businesses. They see both business and family as precious legacies to be stewarded, nurtured, grown, and handed down. Contrary to widely held opinion, the wealthiest families in Canada do not live, work, and earn solely for themselves. They look toward the future, the rising generation of their families as well as the generations yet unborn. Most look as well toward the future of the businesses they have built and may yet build, businesses they may pass down through the family, and businesses they may sell to other individuals or corporate entities. Families who create significant enterprises are concerned with how these will contribute to the economy of their nation. They are anxious to ensure that their entrepreneurial investments, in real estate, in venture capital, in new business start-ups, will positively impact their fellow Canadians and their fellow human beings. Many are also committed to devoting a large fraction of their wealth directly to philanthropic projects and causes, which are often initiatives they don't merely fund, but that they create, build, and lead. More and more Canadians of wealth are realizing the importance of treating their family assets, their family identity, and their family brand as dimensions of the family's business. Accordingly, more and more are establishing or joining "family offices." This book reveals the concept, the theory, and the practice of the family office as an instrument to enable legacy families to ensure that they nurture, encourage, inspire, and enable their members to create a positive impact on the world around them, on their community, their country, and on humanity itself, generation after generation. This book will show you-- - What a family office is - What it costs - Whether your family can benefit from it - How to establish it - How to manage it - How to integrate with your family's business and investment interests - How it can preserve and grow a social, financial, and philanthropic legacy - And most of all, how it can keep your family united--today and for through the generations.