Merry Christmas from SKM Associates!

It has been an exciting year for us: we began working with several new business family clients, we

continued serving business families that we have known for years, and we enjoyed navigating additional opportunities for my son, Aaron, and I to work together.

Family businesses continue to be a lifeblood of our economy, and we consider it a privilege to walk along with families navigating the myriad of issues that families in business face.  We couldn't agree more with Ted Clark of Northeastern University's Center for Family Businesses: "Run well, family businesses can be some of the best.  They invest for the long haul, offer long-term employment, and contribute to their communities."

We are thankful for the opportunity to work with great folks like you.  We are able to do what we do because of referrals from people like you.  We don't take those referrals lightly, and we appreciate you thinking of us when we could be helpful to you or someone you know.

Merry Christmas to you and your family.  We wish you the best in the new year.  

Please feel free to reach out to us.  We would love to hear how things are going.

Join Us For A Panel Discussion: Addictions and Substance Abuse in the Family Business

With Dr. Karl Benzio; Bill Messinger, Esq. & Melissa Mitchell-Blitch, MS, MA

We have all seen a loved one make some destructive decisions. When someone we love is in the grip of a harmful pattern, we naturally want to help. In spite of our best intentions though, our efforts are sometimes actually more harmful than helpful. The psychobabble term for this is "enabling," otherwise known as "good intentions gone wrong."

For Family businesses there are added pressures and stresses in that, people know each other’s baggage, insecurities, weaknesses, and shortcomings. There are extra pressures to succeed, work harder, and work longer. In the Family and the Business, at times, a lot more enabling occurs – meaning family usually ignores or “protects” the person from the natural consequences thus enabling the destructive/dysfunctional behavior to continue.

What is a Family Business to do? How should a Family Business address these critical issues?

Karl Benzio, MD, Psychiatrist is an international speaker and frequent media guest expert. Karl

testified for Congress and the President's Bioethics Commission, taught counseling program courses,

and spearheaded a unique Katrina relief effort. He has started a non-profit ministry, called Lighthouse Network, has directed adult and adolescent programs, psychiatric ER, as well as a Christian Rehab program, using his unique cutting-edge workshop, WITHIN REACH, to help people transform their lives, as it did Karl's addiction.

William F. Messinger JD, LADC, Attorney, Advisor and Counselor. As the architect and leading

proponent of using family resources and influence to encourage compliance with treatment recommendations, Bill is pursuing his mission to improve recovery rates from alcohol and drug addiction. In 1998, he originated the concept of applying very successful treatment protocols for physicians and pilots to other groups and has written extensively on the use of leverage by families to improve outcomes for their loved ones.

Melissa Mitchell-Blitch, MS, MA. Melissa pulls from her previous careers as a CPA/advisor, then

counselor, to help families navigate the relational and emotional challenges of wealth and business. She provides both coaching and consulting to families, and collaborates with the family’s advisors. Through her work with hundreds of challenging cases over the past decade, Melissa has developed an empathic yet direct style, which allows her to establish rapport with a wide range of personality types. She works with families to displace wishful thinking with skills, to replace avoidance with communication, and to dispel fear via clarity and intention. This process has shown to transform families in ways they never imagined were possible.

Join The Network of Family Businesses for thisWebinar on Wednesday December 17, 2014 at 11:00 AM Eastern Time.         For additional information email: steve@netfamilybusiness.com

UNC Asheville Family Business Forum Joins The Network of Family Businesses

NEWS RELEASE

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

UNC Asheville Family Business Forum

Joins The Network of Family Businesses

President of The Network of Family Businesses, Steven K. Moyer, stated this collaboration and partnership is an exciting step in continuing to provide a growing network of families in business access to educational resources as they strive to build their family legacy.

The UNC Asheville Family Business Forum with Strategic Partners is a resource to help business owners maximize the overall well being of their business and to transition successfully to the next generation. The Family Business Forum is an ongoing professional development and awareness-raising environment specifically designed for family owned and closely held businesses.

Guided by its members and supported by the Strategic Partners the Family Business Forum presents programs and activities that are meaningful and relevant to the membership. The programs originate from member feedback, hot topics of the moment, and other scientific methods family businesses put to use. Not many of us get it right the first time, so it helps to hear what the others are doing, said Cindy Clarke, Executive Director.

The Network of Family of Businesses is an exclusive online network that connects families who want to stay on top of trends while building their family legacies. The online organization, www.netfamilybusiness.com, was developed to meet the businesses owners’ limited time and schedule to get away from the office and attend seminars. An online meeting place also cuts down on the increasing cost of travel.

The Network of Family Businesses has over 600 Family Businesses including The Initiative for Family Business & Entrepreneurship of St. Joseph’s University, The High Center for Family Business Elizabethtown College, Family Business Center Madden School of Business @ Le Moyne College, and The Wilkes Family Business Alliance, and The Family Business Forum at Alvernia University.

For more information, or to discuss how The Network of Family Businesses may be able to serve your Family or organization.

The Network can be reached at steve@netfamilybusiness.com or 215-256-5997.

Weaving An Estate Plan Into A Succession Plan

With Tim Crisafulli, Esq. & Doug Gorman. Esq.

All business owners must face the inevitable:  the day will come when they will no longer own and operate their businesses.  Although a business owner cannot know whether retirement, disability, death, or a simple desire to try something new will be the cause of his or her departure, it is sure to happen.

           

By effectively planning an exit, a business owner can ensure that his or her business lives on after his or her departure.  In addition, the business owner can “cash out” rather than simply close up shop.  He or she can provide for a graceful transition to subsequent owners, whether they be family, trusted employees, or third-parties.  Sound planning can reduce the risk of an untimely death destroying a business’s value, leaving an uncertain future for the owner’s loved ones.

In this webcast, attorneys Douglas J. Gorman and Timothy P. Crisafulli will discuss select strategies for business succession planning and helpful estate planning techniques.  They will review essential provisions in organizational documents and transitional documents, ways to structure life insurance ownership, strategies to minimize taxes and retain control, and methods for achieving a metered ownership transfer.

Timothy P. Crisafulli practices in the areas of tax law, trust and estates, and elder law. Through his trusts and estates practice, Mr. Crisafulli helps families protect, preserve, and effectively transfer
wealth. He utilizes his extensive knowledge of tax law to minimize capital gains, income, gift, and estate taxes. He administers estates through all stages of probate, representing both fiduciaries and beneficiaries in litigation.

Douglas J. Gorman concentrates his practice on corporate, commercial and business matters. He provides counsel to businesses at all stages of development.  He assists start-up companies and emerging businesses with formation, choice of entity, structuring and financing, including equity investing and crowd-funding.  He counsels family businesses on corporate governance, shareholder and member relations, fiduciary duty and shareholder and member disputes.  He also advises companies, their owners and executives on exit strategies and succession planning.

Join The Network of Family Businesses for an educational Webinar on Wednesday November 19, 2014 at 11:00 AM Eastern Time, with Tim Crisafulli and Doug Gorman.

For additional information email: steve@netfamilybusiness.com

Intentionally Developing Leaders for Family Owned Businesses

(Part 2)

In a recent Wall Street Journal survey, approximately half of the responding companies indicated that they plan to increase their leadership training budgets as a result of the recognition of the cost effectiveness of building leadership from within as opposed to only looking externally to hire key talent.

For family owned business, the next generation of the family often provides the talent pool for the next generation of leadership.  It takes intentional, focused efforts to grow and develop the next generation.  It is an investment not just in the next generation, but in building the family legacy.

Progressive family owned business leaders do certain things to foster leadership development within their organizations, including continuing to develop themselves; carefully selecting learning projects tailored to individuals in the next generation; and utilizing 360 Degree Feedback.

There are also other things that such leaders can do to foster the next generation and build leaders within their organizations.

Build exposure to other leaders: Broaden the opportunity of the next generation to network with seasoned leaders of other family owned businesses. There may be opportunities to do this through involvement in trade associations, family business forums, or the local Chamber of Commerce. Either way, it must be intentional.

Exposure to the Strategic Agenda: Invite the next generation to sit in on the planning discussions for the next business cycle. Do it now, before they will be expected to make the decisions. Show them your thought process. One business family that we have worked with has rotating seats on their Board of Directors for the next generation

External Coaching: Sometimes the next generation hears things differently, more clearly, and more receptively from an ‘outsider,’ such as an executive coach.  The coach must understand the issues and concerns of a business family, be committed to the success of the next generation and the legacy of the business, and have the ability to both push and pull the next generation along in their learning process.

Nurturing and developing the next generation can be a very rewarding journey.  Moreover, it supports and builds the family legacy.  However, it takes intentional commitment and effort.

Women and Wealth: A Hard Look at the "Soft Side"

With Susan Schoenfeld

Reflect back to your childhood, and your young adulthood. Think about the family stories you heard, about your ancestors who came here from another country, or who created the wealth that you may have inherited, and what those stories said to you about who you are and where you come from, and what your

family values and prioritizes. Now look forward, and think about the values, culture and history you are communicating, or will communicate, or want to eventually communicate, to your future generations. That is your family legacy. It's often not comfortable for a family to sit down and talk about its values and its wealth. If we don't make a conscious effort to think about our family's legacy in a formalized way, it's an easy conversation to put off.

In fact, most parents report that they would rather have the "sex talk" with their kids than the "money talk."

Susan R. Schoenfeld, JD, LL.M. (Taxation), CPA, MBA is CEO and founder of Wealth Legacy Advisors LLC, which provides objective advice to families of wealth through personal attention and human spirit. Services include Stewardship, Succession, Philanthropy, Next Generation Coaching and Education, and Fiduciary. She is an Attorney and CPA, with deep experience as an advisor to families and family offices on matters of generational wealth transfer, estate planning and education on the “personal issues of wealth”.

Previously, she was the Family Ambassador at the W Family Office, serving as the liaison between the single family office and its multi-national family members, and helping to engage and educate the next generation about their family wealth enterprise. Before that, she was Principal of Bessemer Trust for more than 14 years, where she helped high net worth individuals and families develop and implement generational wealth transfer planning strategies. She also created, developed and facilitated Bessemer's Women and Wealth Workshops, designed to explore personal aspects of wealth, which in turn inspired a series of Next Generation of Wealth workshops. In addition, she ran Bessemer’s donor advised fund, and also headed Bessemer’s Northeast Region Trust Administration group. 

Join The Network of Family Businesses for a virtual educational Webinar on Tuesday, October 21, 2014 at 11:00 AM Eastern Time, with Susan Schoenfeld.

For additional information email: steve@netfamilybusiness.com

Intentionally Developing Leaders for Family Businesses

(Part 1)

CEOs too often find that the depth of leadership talent within their organizations is not what it was in the past.  Sometimes this is a result of layoffs or other cutbacks during difficult economic seasons.  Sometimes this is a result of natural attrition without replacing departing talent.  Sometimes the organization has just failed to build up future leaders.  For many business families, the issue is how to train the next generation to be those future leaders.

As Baby Boomers plan the transition of the business to the next generation, it will take intentional effort to help the next generation grow and develop – and ultimately be prepared to take over the reins.  One of the significant advantages of developing the next generation of the family is that the potential talent pool already knows and understands the family culture.  The investment is truly building the family legacy, but it takes intentional effort and commitment.

What are a few intentional ways to develop the next generation?

Continue to develop yourself: As a leader in your family, you set the example. Seek to learn and grow at whatever stage of life you may be. The more competent you are, the more likely people are to trust you. Developing yourself will influence your relations with others, motivate others, and inspire others.

Carefully select learning projects: Every company has areas of growth opportunity. Take time to analyze what the business will face in the future.  Then, have the next generation take responsibility for beginning the investigation and data gathering regarding how the business can address the issue. The opportunity to learn the business, craft analysis, and present (and support!) their conclusions will help the next generation learn to face future business issues head-on.

Utilize 360 Degree Feedback: 360 degree feedback can prove invaluable to gain deeper insight into how others view leaders. Many times, we don’t know what we don’t know, which can create bigger problems later on. This kind of feedback can be a very valuable learning opportunity, but it must be done carefully. It has the potential of crushing the spirit if the process is mishandled. It must be done in an environment of trust, care, and confidentiality and is often best done by an independent, unbiased third party.  The rewards of this kind of feedback can be high, as long as it is managed properly.

Nurturing and developing the next generation can be a very rewarding journey. 

Moreover, it supports and builds the family legacy.  However, it takes intentional commitment and effort.

Oversight and Insight: Governance in Family Enterprises

Governance is often described as one of the fundamental responsibilities of ownership of a multi-generational family business. Therefore, adopting solid governance practices for your family and business may be two of the most beneficial actions you can take.

In this webinar we will discuss the purpose, development and the effective use of Boards and Family Councils, the primary governance platforms in a family enterprise. With proper execution, Boards and Family Councils add a unique accountability component; this serves to propel growth and higher-level functioning for the business, its owners and the family. Emphasis will be placed on the effective use of these influential structures, including essential criteria for Directors and those who serve in this critical capacity.

Ann Kinkade brings over two decades of business experience, working exclusively with business-owning families in a variety of contexts for the last 16 years.

In 2013, Ms. Kinkade launched Lucid Legacy Consulting. Her private practice includes advising family enterprises, facilitating family meetings, coaching one-on-one with executives who desire growth and change, and writing, speaking, and training on a variety of family enterprise topics to audiences of all sizes. In 2014, after 350 hours of training, she earned Certification as an Executive Coach.

Ms. Kinkade is committed to the family enterprise field as a vocation and has developed, presented, and led numerous conferences and educational seminars both domestically and internationally. Topics have included: governance, leadership, communication and conflict, succession, interpersonal and family relations, life stage development, and public policy/public image challenges faced by family firms. She has been awarded the Family Firm Institute’s (FFI) Certificate in Family Business Advising, and is also recognized as an FFI Fellow. She has served on several family business and nonprofit boards, and has authored several articles that have been published in trade magazines, Fortune Small Business and The Wall Street Journal. Ms. Kinkade has been a guest on regional radio shows and has reviewed three published family business books and numerous published articles.

Ms. Kinkade’s prior work experience includes launching Family Enterprise USA (FEUSA), the nation’s first nonprofit, membership advocacy group dedicated to addressing family enterprise public image and public policy issues. As its founding CEO and President, she executed the nation’s first public policy survey of family firms and developed the first forum for family firms to convene in Washington D.C. with federally-elected policy makers, among other organizational initiatives.

Join The Network of Family Businesses for a virtual educational Webinar on Tuesday, September 30, 2014 at 11:00 AM Eastern Time, with Ann Kinkade.

For additional information email: steve@netfamilybusiness.com

Preparing Your Business Family Legacy

Aaron Moyer, Consultant

SKM Associates LLC

You’ve worked hard to create a strong, sustainable business.  You’ve been successful in building a profitable business.  But, beyond building a successful company, you want to build a legacy for your family.  Perhaps that means preparing for the next generation to take over the company.  Perhaps that means liquidating the company and using the wealth for other family legacy purposes.  Or, perhaps you have other goals in mind.  Whatever the case, it takes careful planning to make it happen.

Consider Joe Robbie, a cofounder of the Miami Dolphins.  Following Mr. Robbie’s death in 1990, a feud broke out among his children and surviving wife regarding the team and the family’s continued ownership.  Lawsuits were filed; claims of dishonesty were made among his children; and the family fought bitterly.  Mr. Robbie’s estate was reportedly worth $109 million at the time of his death.  As a result of poor planning, his estate reportedly had to pay taxes of approximately $47 million.  Additional money was required for certain debts, litigation costs, and other expenses.  The family was ultimately forced to sell the team and the stadium.  In the end, each of his children received about $6 million.  The judge overseeing the estate hearing concluded, “As much as Mr. Robbie produced for his children, I’m sure he is turning in his grave.  I’m sure this is the last thing Mr. Robbie wanted to see.”  Mr. Robbie’s oldest son seemed to concur: “This whole thing has destroyed our family.” 

The key to building your family legacy is through integrated planning.  Many business families neglect this piece as they are focused on the daily challenges of the business.  This includes, among other things, leadership succession planning, appropriate estate planning, appropriate corporate structures and documentation, coordinated financial planning (both business and personal), and communication among stakeholders. 

This type of succession planning is a process, not an event.  It also takes coordination among outside experts to ensure that they family’s ultimate goals and desires are being put in place as part of the family’s greater overall plan.  As family business advisors, SKM Associates understands the family dynamics as well as the business issues involved.

Your family’s legacy doesn’t have to end like Mr. Robbie’s.  As your business family engages this process of succession planning and building the family legacy, SKM Associates can walk along side you.  We understand the questions to ask.  We appreciate the sensitivity of the issues and conversations.  We work with the lawyers, accountants, and other subject matter experts who are needed in this process.  In short, we can help you plan and coordinate this process so that you can focus on continuing to build your business family legacy.  Give us a call today.  We want to learn about your family and talk about ways we might be able to help.

SKM Associates LLC 

215.256.5997

skmoyer@comcast.net

Formalize The Love

                                                                             

Formalize The Love

Join us to learn how Love in a Family Business Can Be Formalized

You have likely heard poet Robert Frost’s proverb, “Good fences make good neighbors” from his 1914 poem, Mending Wall. When it comes to family business, Tom Hubler believes that “formal structure supports family love.”

Family members in business generally love and care about each other. They try to do what’s best for their company and avoid fights. Especially in start-up companies, each working family member operates more independently with little official structure or formal communication. This creates communication voids. Individuals make assumptions without a shared understanding. Small differences fester unresolved until they became painful and unmanageable.

Tom states a family business needs three types of meetings to formalize expectations for the company: Family Meetings, Business Meetings, and Shareholder and Board Meetings.

Large or small, complex or simple, start-up or generational, business families enjoy life, family, relationships and business much more when they take the time to formalize

the love.

In 1980, when Tom began his career as a family business consultant, he was one of the few

professionals addressing family-owned business needs in the United States. Since then, he has played a major role in shaping the family business consultant field, from helping colleges establish family business institutes to working directly as family business consultant for hundreds of clients.

Today, Tom continues his long-standing dedication to helping families of wealth and family-owned businesses succeed. He helps families develop a shared vision for the family and for the business; identify individual talents; tackle any unspoken issues; and create individual and organizational strategies to ensure a personally and financially rewarding business. In addition, Tom assists families of wealth with the creation of a wealth preparation plan that ensures family values continue to emphasize a family culture of gratitude, philanthropy and purposeful living.

Read Tom’s White Paper: Formalize the Love

Join The Network of Family Businesses for a virtual educational Webinar on Wednesday, August 20, 2014 at 11:00 AM Eastern Time, with Tom Hubler.

For additional information email: steve@netfamilybusiness.com

Join us to hear the Story and Experiences of Cargas Systems

Sustained Success With Family AND Employee Ownership

Join us to hear the Story and Experiences of Cargas Systems

June 17, 1988. In a corner of a bedroom in Lancaster, PA, Chip Cargas launches a computer consulting firm with a state-of-the-art Macintosh SE with a 9” screen, dot matrix printer, desk, phone and answering machine. Today, Cargas Systems is a thriving business software and consulting company—with that antique Mac proudly on display in Chip’s office.

Chip developed Cargas Systems based on his vision of a company built on values that inspired and motivated the employees. One of the first sets of “policies and procedures” he designed for the company was the set of core values that remain in place today: teamwork, customer care and shared success. With a background in Industrial Engineering and Human Resources, plus a lifelong interest in developing efficient and effective systems and procedures, Chip determined that helping companies achieve business success would be his company’s primary focus.

Chip was the sole owner of Cargas Systems until 1998 when he introduced employee ownership. Chip reduced his ownership from 100% to 60%, and now 93% of Cargas employees are shareholders in the company. Even those who do not own stock in the company are encouraged to perform according to the employee-owned culture that has been fostered throughout the history of Cargas Systems.

Cargas Systems is an eight-time winner of the Best Places to Work in PA designation, including being #1 medium size company in 2006. 

Chip Cargas is the founder, Chairman & CEO of Cargas Systems, an employee-owned software

company with 54 employees.  Chip received an Honorary Doctorate in Public Service in 2013 from Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology.  He is the 2006 recipient of the Small Business Person of the Year award presented by the Lancaster Chamber of Commerce.  Chip earned his B.S. in Industrial Engineering from Cornell University in 1969.  Chip is enjoys bicycling for commuting, fitness, and fun.  He is the 2007 winner of the Central PA Fittest CEO competition in the male over 50 category. Chip earned his B.S. in Industrial Engineering from Cornell University.

  

Nate Scott is the Vice President of Cargas Systems’ Energy business unit, and has responsibility for

the overall strategy, revenues, and expenses for the division.  Nate oversees the unit’s strategic planning, sales, marketing, product development, consulting and customer service functions.  His ambitious demeanor, consultative approach, and appreciation for technology make Nate an ideal fit as a divisional leader. He earned his B.A. in government and law from Lafayette College

Aaron Cargas, CPA is Manager of Product Development at Cargas Systems. He leads and designs

the product roadmap and strategy of Cargas Energy, software and mobile technology for heating oil, propane and service companies. Aaron joined Cargas Systems in 1996 with a degree in Accounting and a background in public accounting.  Aaron’s business acumen is evident in his Cargas contributions and his humorous and valuable weekly blog posts at ManagerialMayhem.com, reaching 500 readers in 35 countries, and monthly articles for B2B Magazine, reaching 30,000 business professionals in southeastern PA.

Cargas Systems are members of The High Center Elizabethtown College.

Join The Network of FamilyBusinesses for a virtual educational Webinar on Tuesday, July 22nd, 2014 at 11:00 AM Eastern Time, with Chip Cargas, Nate Scott, and Aaron Cargas.

For additional information email: steve@netfamilybusiness.com

Upgraded Website Goes LIVE!

Be sure to check out The Network of Family Businesses website at www.netfamilybusiness.com

We've updated and upgraded our website to provide our members with a faster, friendlier experience.

Check us out and let us know your thoughts; we are striving to meet the needs of Families in Business.

It is all about the Network helping Families build their Legacy!

Webinar: Transitioning the Family Business vs. Selling the Family Business

Benjamin Franklin said, “[N]othing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.”

If you own a business, you have and will be paying taxes, and you will die, although I have met several owners who believe they will live forever. So, the question is not if I die, but when, and thus, it means there will be a transition of ownership of the business after the owner’s death.

In this webinar, John Reed and Dan Desmond will, in somewhat of a point-counter point version, look at the critical issues that an owner should analyze when planning the succession path of his or her business, including things such as leadership, management identification and training, financial resources, needs and objectives of the owner post-succession and, of course, the employees. Additional issues to consider will include valuation of the business, fiscal health of the company, long-term financial and retirement planning, the current M&A environment, and, finally, whether the owner is truly ready to “pull the trigger.” There are also a host of separate issues to consider if the business has more than one owner in either situation. Lastly, we will also touch on some “scenario planning” to encourage owners that think “I’m not planning on getting out of the business for 15 years”, to identify critical pieces that are common in either path and having them start developing those critical pieces starting today.

John spends much of his time helping family owned businesses transition between generations, and is a huge advocate of successful family transitions, but, moving a business to the next generation is not the only option, and in some circumstances, it may be the wrong option.

A lawyers favorite answer to most questions is - “it depends”. When evaluating whether a sale to an unrelated party or a succession to the next generation is the right path, what’s the right answer? -- say it with me -- it depends.

John T. Reed, Partner, Barley Snyder: John is the chair of the firm's Business Law
Group and Family Business Law Group. John's primary practice is comprised of two separate but related areas: (i) counseling family owned and closely held businesses; and (ii) buying and selling businesses, and in many cases, acting as a general counselor for the business on an ongoing basis after the transaction is completed.

Daniel T. Desmond, Associate, Barley Snyder: Dan is an associate in the firm’s Business Services, Real Estate and Finance and Creditors Rights Groups. In Dan’s

work with business law, he focuses on all facets of business transactions ranging from entity selection and formation and structuring to mergers, acquisitions, succession planning for closely held businesses and securities work for publicly traded companies.

Barley Snyder is also one of the founding members and a current corporate sponsor of the S. Dale High Family Business Center at Elizabethtown College. John leads the firm's efforts at the Center and is a frequent speaker and a regular resource for the CEO Roundtable and Emerging Leaders Groups at the Center.

Join The Network of Family Businesses for a virtual educational Webinar on Thursday, June 26^th, 2014 at 11:00 AM Eastern Time, with John Reed and Dan Desmond.

For additional information email: steve@netfamilybusiness.com