Finance in the Family Firm

The course is directed towards students who are involved with the management of family businesses, either their own family's or someone else's, as well as towards students who interact with family businesses. The focus of this course is primarily on financing decisions faced by privately held family businesses. We will explore the family, business, and ownership issues found in family owned and managed companies to get a better understanding of how financial decisions are influenced. Through lectures, case studies, student work experiences and guest speakers, we consider questions of control, growth, liquidity, and the evolving role of governance and the family office in the financing decisions of the family owned enterprise. The course has the following objectives: • Develop a system framework to analyze factors influencing family business financial decisions. • Increase your understanding, effectiveness and commitment as a member of a family firm (either you own family’s or someone else’s) or as an advisor to such firms • Identify the characteristics that differentiate a family business from other businesses • Examine the life cycles of family businesses from the perspective of business, family and ownership • Learn to identify and evaluate situations and problems in family businesses • Examine best practices and explore emerging trends in family business management • Develop family business competitive strategies