Family Business Consulting
Helping family business owners work through difficult decisions, family dynamics, and what’s next.
Running a family business can be incredibly rewarding, but it also brings challenges that other businesses never face. It's not always easy to separate family issues from business issues, and even simple decisions can become complicated.
Schedule a ConversationThe Challenge
Running a family business means wearing more than one hat.
In a family business, you're often a business owner, parent, spouse, sibling, mentor, and leader all at the same time. The roles don't always stay neatly separated.
A business decision can affect family relationships. Family dynamics can affect business performance. Conversations that begin at work often continue at home, and issues at home can find their way back into the business.
It can be difficult to know when to lead as a business owner, when to respond as a family member, and how to make decisions that are fair for both the business and the people you care about.
Family businesses bring opportunities and challenges that most businesses never experience.
What We Help With
Most family business owners come to us because they're facing a difficult situation and aren't sure what to do next.
Every family business is different, but many of the challenges we help clients work through fall into a few common areas.
Family members aren't meeting expectations.
One family member feels they are carrying more than their share of the responsibility while others are not pulling their weight.
Succession feels uncertain.
You know ownership or leadership will eventually need to change hands, but there is no clear plan for how to make it happen successfully.
Learn more about succession planning.The next generation isn't ready.
You want the business to stay in the family, but you're not sure whether the next generation has the skills, experience, or commitment needed to lead.
Communication is breaking down.
Important conversations are being avoided, disagreements keep resurfacing, and frustration is beginning to affect both the family and the business.
Family conflict is affecting the business.
Personal issues, old disagreements, or competing priorities are making it harder to make decisions and move the company forward.
Learn more about solving family business problems.You're not sure what to do next.
Sometimes the challenge isn't a single issue. You simply need an experienced outside perspective to help you think through the situation and determine the best path forward.
Looking Below the Surface
The issue you're dealing with is rarely just one issue.
Most family business owners come to us for a specific issue. A family member is not following through. A transition is not moving forward. Communication is strained. A decision keeps getting delayed.
As we work through the situation, we often find there are other factors contributing to the problem — unclear expectations, family history, different goals, avoided conversations, or uncertainty about who should lead next.
Our role is to help the owner step back, understand what is really happening, and decide how to move forward in a way that protects both the business and the family relationships that matter.
Sometimes the business issue cannot be solved without understanding the family dynamics behind it.
Why Family Business Owners Choose Giroud Consulting
We've lived the challenges of running a family business.
Family business challenges are different from the challenges found in most companies. They involve people you care about, relationships that extend beyond the workplace, and decisions that can affect both the business and the family for years to come.
After nearly five decades of owning and operating a family business, we've experienced many of the same situations our clients face. We've navigated leadership transitions, worked through family dynamics, addressed communication challenges, planned for succession, and made difficult decisions where both the business and family relationships were at stake.
We don't approach family business consulting from a textbook. We bring practical experience, an outside perspective, and an understanding of what it takes to navigate difficult situations while protecting both the business and the relationships that matter most.
Experience matters when the decisions affect both the business and the family.
Planning for the Future
A successful transition doesn't happen by accident.
For many family business owners, one of the biggest questions is what happens next. Whether you're thinking about retirement, preparing the next generation for leadership, or considering the future ownership of the company, the decisions you make today can have a lasting impact.
Successful transitions require more than legal documents and financial planning. They require clear expectations, open communication, leadership development, and a shared understanding of the future.
We help family business owners think through succession planning, prepare future leaders, and create practical plans that support both the long-term success of the business and the family behind it.
The best time to start planning for the future is before it becomes urgent.
Start With a Conversation
Let's talk about what's happening in your family business.
Whether you're facing a difficult decision, working through family dynamics, planning for the future, or simply trying to determine the best path forward, the first step is a conversation.
Schedule a Conversation
Lou Giroud
Family Business Consultant
Nearly 50 years of family business experience.