Kimberly Eddleston
Site Staff
EIX Editor
Family Business Editor
Interest: Innovation Strategy Family Business Entrepreneurship
Industry: Management of Companies & Enterprises Accommodation & Food Services Construction
Interviewee:
Authored Resources
Want to Give Your Entrepreneurship Students Real-World Experience? Try Consulting Projects
16408 viewsStudents gain exposure to the inner-workings of a business, while entrepreneurs receive a fresh perspective, academic insight and assistance.
Trust But Verify: How Startups Can Build Healthy Strategic Alliances
27395 viewsFor entrepreneurs, doing business with friends can be perilous.
Restaurant Icon Frank DePasquale Shares Recipe for Success
38160 viewsHis key ingredients: Learn from others. Listen to customers. Hug your employees.
B-School Students Put New Restaurant on the Map
9105 viewsHere's what happened when Boston-area restaurant owner “Lakis” Vlahoulis let students into the kitchen.
'Femgineer' Aims to Empower Technology Specialists
40906 viewsPoornima Vijayashanker discusses how she turned her blog into a thriving business, and why entrepreneurs must be coachable.
Retooling Products to Reach New Markets: The Lindt Candy Dilemma
11924 viewsThis exercise helps entrepreneurship students understand the importance of retooling products to reach new markets.
Real-Life Drama: Creating a TV Series Based on a Family Business
2592 viewsFrom the "director's chair," students illustrate the challenges of the family firm, and what makes a good one.
Talk With Real Customers Before the Launch
8294 viewsHow entrepreneurs can test the waters before they roll out a new venture.
How Best Buy Engages Employees in Putting Customers First
23257 viewsIn an era when customers are always ready to bolt, business owners must find new ways to keep them coming back.
The 'Fredo Factor:' How Deadbeats and Troublemakers Hurt Family Businesses
36131 viewsAs the Corleones and many other family firms have learned, bad-apple relatives can wreak havoc. How to deal with your "Fredo."
Why Family Firms Are Like Jenga
38470 viewsThey're sensitive, easily disrupted and conflict-prone. Author Doug Baumoel discusses why they must innovate nonetheless.
Confidentiality Agreements Promote Candor in Family Business Classes
10975 viewsFor students to share their own good and bad family experiences in a family business class, confidentiality is essential.
Being Female Affects Business Loans from Family and Friends
51162 viewsA study shows that women entrepreneurs have a harder time getting financing not only from banks, but also from friends and family.
Investing for a Better World: A Conversation with Justin Rockefeller
24179 viewsA fifth-generation Rockefeller shares insights about how entrepreneurs and businesses can align investment and values.
Let's Get Professional: Family Firms Need HRM Practices
20115 viewsFamily business members and students can learn how professional human resources practices can minimize issues.
How Can the Family Business Cope When a Key Non-family Exec Leaves?
4049 viewsNOTE TO TEACHERS: The downloadable supporting document (above) includes material to guide classroom discussion. This case is based on a real family business, although the specifics have been changed
'There's No Birthright' and Other Tips for Raising Entrepreneurial Leaders
24200 viewsJoe Brito shares the management tips that made his four-generation Rhode Island-based construction firm so successful.
What it Takes to Build a Four-Generation Business
31169 viewsFrom a single bulldozer in the 1950s, this top Rhode Island construction firm has thrived by adhering to its founder's core values.
Trust Me: I'm a Salesman
7925 viewsA former police offer had to learn to sell when he became an entrepreneur.
Starting Over: The Midlife Entrepreneur
22585 viewsA former policeman talks about the challenge of launching his own company selling professional-quality artisanal knives.
Breaking Norms to Get Ahead: Do Women Entrepreneurs Need a Dash of Psychopathy?
53603 views A 2016 University of Alabama Study concluded that women with a benign touch of psychopathy (callousness, ability to put aside emotions to do a tough job, not afraid to buck gender norms) are
Helping Women Entrepreneurs Succeed: What's Needed Now
24254 viewsWomen Entrepreneurs are growing in number, but much more needs to be done to support them and prepare future generations.
Tavern Has the Recipe for Appeal and Profitability
1840 viewsFickle customers, tricky finances -- how a popular Rhode Island tavern meets the industry's key challenges.
#MeToo is Changing the Game for Startups
20620 viewsNew businesses today have both a mandate and an opportunity to build a workplace that not only complies with laws against sexual harassment, but also makes every employee feel respected, safe and comfortable.
The 5 Money Mistakes That Blindside Entrepreneurs
3740 viewsToo many families underestimate the business's impact on their personal finances and don't plan for the future.
More Women Should Study Entrepreneurship
26191 views Women have become a powerful part of the global economy, but many college and university entrepreneurship programs are not attracting them. In this interview with EIX's Kim Eddleston,
Venture Helps Artisans with Special Needs Find Markets
3189 viewsYad has a social mission at its heart: it aims to help Guatemalan artisans with special needs express themselves through art, and then find retailers who can help them reach markets for their work.
Mentorship Helps Mission-Driven Venture Thrive
10145 viewsVulnerable women living in Colombia are earning money and improving their lives through jewelry-making, thanks to Artyfactos. The company has found markets for the women's creations in the US and
Trust Your Mentors, and Your Gut
4917 viewsThe founder of Made Organics encourages entrepreneurs to balance advice from mentors and their own vision.
'Imposter Syndrome' Holds Back Entrepreneurial Women
24718 viewsMany women who want to grow their businesses get in their own way because of how they see themselves. Here's how they can stop selling themselves short.
Family Business Experts: How to Survive the Holidays Intact
4480 viewsHoliday gatherings can be fraught with resentment. Advice from the experts and
Encouraging Family Business Members to Go the Extra Mile
3093 viewsTight control or adaptability and collaboration? A hybrid of both approaches motivates best.
Becoming the Boss: Advice for Women in Family Businesses
5284 viewsMore women are taking over their family business from a man, but they're still seen as the wife, daughter, sister or niece rather than the boss.
The 5 Mortal Sins of New Product Development
248259 viewsNortheastern University Professor Stephen L. Golden discusses five mistakes that innovators and companies make that can doom a new product.
Turn Your Idea Into an Innovation
24545 viewsMany blockbuster products and companies have started with people who were not engineers, scientists or coders. Fortunately, today they can easily get help developing their product.
Family Business Professors: Resources For Online Learning
783 viewsMany professors are revising their courses for remote learning. Check out our free and peer-reviewed resources that can easily be used in an online course.
Professors Share Tips for Moving Online
598 viewsAs classrooms close, teachers are moving classes online. Here are some tips from those who've made the transition.
Professors Share Best Practices for the Online Classroom
4398 viewsFaculty and students around the world are making a huge transition. Using the right technology and supporting students will be critical. Here's some advice from professors who've learned what works.
More Advice for Engaging Students Online
400 viewsNow that you (successfully) moved your course online, this followup article offers more activities and techniques to incorporate.
What Family Businesses Should be Doing Now
19149 viewsThreats to survival can push family businesses to reassess strengths and weaknesses, look for opportunities and challenges coming their way, and unite behind a challenge.
Be Part of An Important Survey About Coping With Covid-19
1503 viewsWe have a unique opportunity to learn from one another and generate new knowledge that will last generations. We need your help!
Food for Thought: Starting a Side Hustle While Working Full-time
26958 viewsIt's possible to start a business while working for someone else, and it can even make you look better to your current boss. But the risks can be great, too.
Women Can Cultivate a Leadership Presence
9238 viewsWomen are honing their business and technical skills in preparation for leadership, but many of them still struggle with how they communicate and present themselves. Despite their know-how they still
Back to School: Resources for an Uncertain Time
4722 viewsColleges and universities everywhere are grappling with how to teach in fall of 2020: online only, on campus or a hybrid. These articles will help entrepreneurship educators be prepared for whatever happens.
Family Members Can be Valuable Mentors
856 viewsEntrepreneur, philanthropist and author Simran Mohinani has great role models among her family members. She talks about balancing the family and mentor relationships and offers advice for future family business leaders and women.
Breaking the Glass Ceiling in a Family Business
13747 viewsDespite decades of striving and some progress, women still face challenges. Outdated ideas about primogeniture and a woman's rightful place have not yet gone away, and women still feel too much pressure to prove themselves.
Daughters prepare to lead family firms
1435 viewsDaughters are increasingly assuming leadership roles at family firms. In this video, two future business leaders talk about family expectations, their worries, their hopes for the future and the importance of knowing their value.
Startup Helps Military Spouses be Successful Entrepreneurs
2669 viewsMany smart and talented military spouses are becoming entrepreneurs, a path that allows them to thrive professionally even when they can't stay in one place.
A Road Map for Resurgence
6269 viewsWith a vaccine on the way, we feel the best advice for 2021 is to focus on what comes next. These articles from the past year can inform your game plan for the post-Covid world that will dawn in a few months.
Team Exercise: How Parenting Styles Affect The Next Generation
3257 viewsThis experiential exercise is designed to enhance student learning about the four parenting styles and how they affect the dynamics within the family firm.
Listen to the Experts: How Family Firms are Surviving the Pandemic
7403 viewsWhile some family businesses have closed their doors forever, others have successfully pivoted their business. Four experts discuss what they did right.
Family Firms Can Optimize Women's Strengths
6267 viewsWomen often juggle many roles in the business and the family, and typically shun the idea of power because they associate it with dictators and manipulation.
Female Advisors Can Help Family Businesses
38201 viewsWomen advisors can contribute unique perspectives that often emphasize synergies between the family and business.
Foundations Give Entrepreneurs a Channel for Doing Good
2367 viewsFoundations provide a way for entrepreneurs to address societal problems or to help organizations focused on education, health care research or the arts.
Divorce Can Hollow out a Family Business — But it Doesn’t Have to
4387 viewsIt’s surprising how many business-owning families fail to properly plan for this worst case scenario. Here's advice from two experts about protecting the business.
She Always Gives Her All to the Family Firm -- but He Follows the Leader
4336 viewsWomen go the extra mile regardless of how they are treated by leadership. Men only exert extra effort in exchange for altruistic leadership.
What the Bob Ross Fight Can Teach Business Owners
7235 viewsThe fight over the beloved TV artist's estate is a cautionary tale for any business. How to protect your business and your heirs well before you die.
People With Disabilities Can Bring Strength to Your Business
2854 viewsA more generous view of human capability helps companies access a wider pool of talent in an era of profound labor shortages.
The New Normal: Overcoming Post-Pandemic Challenges to Survival and Growth
6579 viewsHow to power through this new phase of supply chain problems, labor shortages, frozen networks and the "great resignation."
Lessons From the Perdue and Sheraton Families on Getting Along
19914 viewsMitzi Perdue, author of a book about family businesses and widow of Frank and daughter of a Sheraton Hotels founder, shares lessons about family harmony.
How Family Firms Can Prevent (or Cool Down) Sibling Rivalries
829475 viewsKoch Industries, McCain Foods and Robert Mondavi were all roiled by sibling battles. These three strategies will help you prevent it.
Family Business Experts: How to Survive the Holidays
2420 viewsWe're republishing this popular article from year-end 2019, which includes timeless advice about getting along from our family business editors.
Strategies for Keeping Your Family Connected
146091 viewsWe continue our discussion with Mitzi Perdue, widow of Frank and daughter of a Sheraton Hotels founder, who shares what she's learned about family unity.
Fostering Diversity and Inclusion Can Be Good for Business
1403 viewsIt can bring stronger connections with customers, better problem solving and enhanced creativity. Here's how to get started.
Getting Along: Straight Talk from a Family Business Veteran
11248 viewsTrust people. Walk around a lot so you meet more non-relatives. And don't show off your new car when the firm is tightening the belt.
Thought Leader Dennis Jaffe: What the Best Family Businesses Get Right
3074 viewsJaffe shares the insights gained from his research into family firms from around the world that have lasted at least three generations.
Family Firm Values Start at an Early Age
915 viewsValues, as Mitzi Perdue points out, help children become responsible stewards of the family business when it's their turn.
How the Next Generation Can Earn Legitimacy, Respect and Loyalty
604 viewsSuccession can be rocky when the heir is viewed as entitled to the crown, rather than deserving of it. Author Bob Buday talks about how thought leadership can help.
Dealing with Inflation: Advice From the Experts
225201 viewsKeep moving forward; adjust your product portfolio and brand; and manage your family and your money.
From Startup to Midsized Company: Managing the Growing Pains
37955 viewsStartups and family firms with between $10 million and $1 billion in revenue, need different kinds of strategies and leadership, as Rob Sher of Mastering Midsized points out.
Growing Pains? Advice to Recharge and Sustain Growth
31481 viewsA family firm that grows into a midsized company may be going through what Rob Sher calls the difficult
Non-Family Board Members Bring Perspective and Growth
18158 viewsThe 100-year-old Nielsen-Massey flavorings company, whose vanilla and other products can be found on store shelves everywhere, spiced up its management with non-relatives.
Should Your Next CEO be From Outside the Family?
84090 viewsWhat happens when the best leader for your family business isn't part of the family? One company decided to look outside, and it improved family relationships.
How Family Businesses Can Attract and Keep the Best People
4209 viewsWe interviewed four founders of family businesses to learn about their challenges and what's working.
Family Business Professors: 40 Ways to Energize Your Class
27771 viewsThese free classroom exercises, interviews and other resources will add new energy, fun and inspiration to your students' course work.
Firm But Flexible Parents Raise the Best Family Business Leaders
11897 viewsOverly strict and overly permissive parents are not doing their children or the family business any favors. "Authoritative" parents have the best results.
Advice for Untangling Conflict in a Family Business
9417 viewsJanme Sinha of Boston Consulting Group talks about how soft emotional issues and hard business issues can tear families apart.
Should Family Members Be the 'Face' of Your Company?
23408 viewsMaking family members part of your business's image has both benefits and risks. How to weigh if it's the right move.
The Family Business 'Generation Gap' Can Undermine Success
5750 viewsMoney, opportunity and succession are all areas where the generations often don't communicate with each other. Professor Peter Jaskiewicz shares insights from his acclaimed new book.
Advice for Family Business Successors: Be Humble and Curious
4368 viewsThe bravado and doggedness that worked for Winston Churchill and Vince Lombardi won't work at family firms, which need a more supportive leadership style.
New Ways Business Owners Can Use Boards
978 viewsBoards can help family firms align the interests of owners and managers, and
Celebrating International Women's Day 2023
5681 viewsEIX and familybusiness.org have a library of articles with research-based best practices for entrepreneurial women. Check them out here.
International Women's Day 2023: Resources for Family Business Women
735 viewsFamilybusiness.org and EIX have dozens of articles sharing best practices for entrepreneurial women. You can find them here.
The Biggest Mistakes Family Businesses Make With Their Boards
501442 viewsFamily business researcher, lecturer and advisor Claudia Astrachan discusses the top mistakes family businesses make in staffing and interacting with boards, and how to do it right.
Wealth Can be Hazardous to Future Family Business Leaders
9548 viewsSubstance abuse problems, lack of motivation and failure to launch are just a few of the problems that can plague young people in wealthy families. A counselor weighs in.
FamilyBusiness.org's Editorial Guidelines for the Use of Generative AI Tools
915 viewsYou are welcome to use these tools to help draft, revise, and/or expand on submitted articles -- but make sure you understand our rules.
FamilyBusiness.org Forges Alliance With Family Business Review
807 viewsAlliance will offer family-led enterprises around the world research-tested advice on how to build, manage and sustain vibrant businesses.
One Family, Multiple Businesses: Preserving Harmony and Profits
1332 viewsFamilies with several businesses under their umbrella face competition for resources and family attention. The right governance can help everyone thrive.
'Succession' Hits Close to Home at Family Firms
9422 viewsA family business advisor finds more than a few similarities between the HBO hit and real families. Here's how to minimize the rancor.
Family Offices: The Sober Guardians of Family Wealth
7290 viewsOften an impartial third party is the best choice to manage the family wealth for future generations and the business's longevity.
Family Meals Ignite the Entrepreneurial Spirit
4057 viewsFamilies with diverse education and industry experience fuel the fire of entrepreneurship, especially when they dine together frequently.
Helicopter Parenting Can Hurt Future Family Business Leaders
39354 viewsA counselor's advice: Do less, say less and watch more. Let your children make mistakes and experience the consequences.
Do Family Meals Fuel Entrepreneurship in Family Businesses?
1144 viewsFamilies with diverse education and industry experience fuel the fire of entrepreneurship when they dine together frequently.
Founders: Let Next-Gens be Entrepreneurial
1912 viewsRania Labaki, a professor at the EDHEC Business School in France and director of its Family Business Center, says that founders must allow their future leaders to have an entrepreneurial spirit.
Why Family Businesses Must Mind the (Generation) Gap
8881 viewsOlder leaders should be curious about how next-gens view the world, and younger leaders-to-be should have patience with their elders and honor what they've created.
How the Right Mix of Employee Incentives Fosters Innovation
3036 viewsWhether your family business’s culture is traditional or modern, you can honor the past and still prepare for the future.
Build the Strong Family Bonds That Lead to Business Success
1244 viewsBeing emotionally or geographically distant can undermine the family's ability to work together productively. A family business advisor shares tips for success.
Let's Talk About Money -- and Trauma
12085 viewsChildhood shapes how heirs view the family firm and the wealth it has created. Older generations must start the conversations that confront the issues.
Help Your Family Business by Helping Others
5106 viewsPhilanthropy can be a catalyst for leadership development, and generate support and good will towards the business in the community.
Here's Why Family Businesses Need Branding
66005 viewsFor family firms, branding is not about marketing but about reputation -- how customers, employees, suppliers and others perceive them.
Good Intentions Can Sow Dysfunction at Family Businesses
14461 viewsA family business advisor talks about what well-meaning families get wrong about succession, conflict, and salaries, and what they can learn from watching
An Innovation Challenge Can Help Employees Feel More Connected
80923 viewsA Minneapolis-based firm challenged employee teams to design and build something that would help people in their local community.
Family Business Patriarchs and Matriarchs: When Is It Time to Move On?
22956 viewsThe business may run smoothly; the heirs may be competent -- but is the older generation emotionally ready? An advisor weighs in.
Succession, Money, and Relationships Were Top-10 Topics in 2023
88865 viewsOur site visitors cared about getting the next generation ready for leadership, having a plan in place, and minimizing conflict and money woes.
How to Defuse and Recover From Family Business Conflict
26537 viewsA clinical psychologist and family business advisor shares tips for cutting through emotions and focusing on conflict rationally and productively.
Why Women CEOs Offer Family Businesses an Entrepreneurial Advantage
13402 viewsFamily firms, unlike non-family firms, value a learning-based path to entrepreneurship, which plays to women’s strengths.
Why Do We Treat Strangers Better Than Family Members?
20046 viewsA family business consultant explores this question, and shares advice on managing conflict, setting boundaries, and cultivating more kindness within the family.
Research-Based Advice for Family Businesses: Our 10 Best-Read Articles
43441 viewsWe've partnered with top researchers to bring their insights to our wide audience of family business owners and leaders. These articles resonated the most with readers.
A Charismatic Family Business Founder Can Be a Tough Act to Follow
113160 viewsFor family businesses, a popular leader can bring many benefits, but can make it challenging to manage succession. An advisor offers strategies.
Family Business Succession: Your Questions Answered
16518 viewsThis new page of FamilyBusiness.org answers many of your most important questions about succession and has links to dozens of articles.
Twins Can Be a Family Business's Superpower
10943 viewsWhile forever being part of a duo can be challenging, twins can bring many strengths to their family business when they are aligned with each other.
A Secret to Success: Family Business Centers
14653 viewsWhile family members running a business together often lean on one another for advice, they can often learn best from people running other family businesses.
Daughter Continues Mom's Legacy of Helping Others
1648 viewsBlessings in a Backpack can inspire any family-run business or organization that hopes to continue the founder's spirit and mission in the next generation.
Family Business Stories Build a Legacy For the Next Generation
3628 viewsBooks, websites, videos and blogs can capture a family business's saga, with all its challenges and triumphs, and shape a powerful legacy.
How Founders Can Stay Relevant When the Next Gen Takes Over
17522 viewsA family business advisor says a change in leadership is like passing the baton in a relay race. Don't let go too abruptly.
Why Families and Their Firms Behave Badly
499314 viewsSometimes the worst behavior happens for all the right reasons. Putting "family first" can jeopardize the business's health and longevity.
'Performance-Enhancing Vices': Good for Business, Bad for Relationships
21904 viewsAdvisor and author David Werdiger talks about the business benefits and personal drawbacks of being selfish and stubborn.
I Banned Cell Phones In My Class: What Happened Next
9906 viewsUNC-Chapel Hill Professor Howard Aldrich said focus and grades improved once cell phones were out of the picture…and students engaged with one another more.
Separate Family Offices Can Minimize Money Problems
5690 viewsIt can be dangerous to ask executive assistants or your CFO to manage your personal finances. A separate staff of calm professionals will help both business and family manage money responsibly.
Making the Leap: From Law Enforcement and Marketing to Business Owners
15475 viewsStephen Mould and Lisa Lazure, partners in business and life, left jobs in law enforcement and marketing to start a knife company.
How Boards Help Complex Family Firms Make Sound Decisions
10824 viewsFiduciary boards keep family firms focused on the long term, rather than on short-term, tactical strategies. But many family firms resist having one, fearful of losing control of their enterprise.
Hiring Mom and Dad? Optimize Their Strengths and Manage Boundaries
5570 viewsSharon Beck, owner of a Jovie Childcare franchise, shares her insights on the benefits and challenges of being your parents' boss.
Articles About Relationships, Succession Were Top Draws in 2024
27669 viewsMany readers wanted advice about handling toxic family relationships, managing succession, and preserving the family’s values over time.
Announcing our 2023-24 Schulze Publication Awards Winners
4375 viewsEach year, the Schulze Publication Awards celebrate the authors of the most impactful articles published on EIX and FamilyBusiness.org. These awards recognize exceptional thought leadership, clarity
Announcing FamilyBusiness.org's 2023-24 Schulze Award Winners
2606 viewsOur newest group of winners — who published articles during the academic year of July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024 — represent a diverse range of insights.
The Perks and Pitfalls of Hiring Your Parents
5292 viewsAllen Esrock of NxtGen Nexus weights in on how to optimize the free labor and other benefits, and how to manage conflicting goals, sibling resentment, and suspicious non-relatives who work for you.
Outsource or Hire? Advice for Family Businesses
23422 viewsBen Berger and Ron Nahass of RSM talk about the benefits of letting outside contractors handle critical business functions.
More Than an Entrepreneur: How Best Buy Founder Dick Schulze Saves Lives
16589 viewsAlong with funding worthy organizations and missions through his foundation, Dick Schulze also works behind the scenes to help individuals during a life-threatening health crisis.
The Emotional Downside of Exiting Your Business
7420 viewsWhile the money is nice, selling a business is not a happily ever after. Depression is not uncommon.
All-Time Greats: Announcing Our Wetherbe Award Winners
50361 viewsAuthors of EIX and FamilyBusiness.org articles with extraordinary impact have received Wetherbe Thought Leadership Awards. We celebrate them in this issue.
A Family Council Can Help Larger Families Stay Connected
7114 viewsConsider one if your family business has 15 or more relatives involved, or multiple generations.
Are Your Family and Business Thriving Together - Or Undermining Each Other?
12334 viewsLike organisms in nature, the relationship between family and business can be mutually beneficial or detrimental. Here's how to strengthen both spheres.
Family Firms: Building Resilience Across Generations
1138 viewsBuilding on three specific attributes -- long-term orientation, social capital, and values-driven governance -- helps families build strengths for generations to come.
Here Are the Next Gen's Biggest Worries
123501 viewsMany want to know where they will fit in the family enterprise; how the wealth will be divided; and how the business will be governed as the family grows in complexity.
Invite Your Next Gens to Leadership
3267 viewsA family business adviser shares how to improve family dynamics to help younger family members get ready for top roles.
Editors’ Picks
No a**hole rule by Robert Sutton
This video offers an overview of Robert Sutton’s Harvard Business Review article and book titled, “The No A**hole Rule.” It reminds us about the need to be civil in the workplace and not to tolerate bad behavior. From an entrepreneurship standpoint, it highlights the need for good leadership and the importance of creating an organizational environment that brings out the best in people.