Services
Family Business Continuity
We advise family enterprises on continuity across generations, including succession planning, governance, and leadership transition.
Our focus is on helping families sustain both the business and the relationships that support it over time.
Preparing the Next Generation
The older generation of a family business could be looking for help in how to prepare the next generation for running the business. They may also need a process for helping the older generation let go of the business.
Will Family Business Survive?
Sometimes numerous family members are owners and/or employees of the business. How do they find common ground on each other's roles and responsibilities, compensation / distributions, employment policies and strategic direction? We help families thrive in business.
Siblings as
Co-Leaders
Perhaps siblings have become co-leaders of your family business and are challenged by different visions or perspectives. An outsider can help them reach a common vision, define governance and policies for them and future generations, supporting them in creating a strategic plan of how to proceed.
Family Office Consulting
We provide independent family office consulting to help families evaluate structures, strengthen governance, and align priorities.
Our work focuses on ensuring the family office effectively supports the family’s long-term objectives and operates with clarity and discipline.
Family Office Embedded in Family Business?
Family business staff have increasingly taken on personal (mostly financial) tasks for family members, and the family wants to expand those services to next generation or perhaps to owners not working in the business. However, family offices are complex: what services should be offered, to which generation or family members, what is in-sourced vs. outsourced, does it remain embedded in the business or separated, and how will it be funded?
Single- or Multi-Family Office?
We've had a liquidity event and our friends are telling us we should form a family office. Our investment advisor says we can use their multi-family office. There are a lot of options; how do we decide which one is best for our family?
Growing into a Family Office
Our business is probably not large enough to justify a family office yet, but we expect to be there in the next few years. Are there services we can begin to offer today that can grow into a family office as the business and wealth continues to expand? Let's create a business plan, including triggers for how and when to expand the office.
Best Practices for our Family Office?
We've had a family office for several years and are very private. As a result, we don't always know what other family offices are doing. Is our office too small or too large? Do we have the right controls in place? Are there services we should out-source? Are we using the right technology?
Family Office Design and Setup
Families often ask:
- How do we know if we should form a family office?
- What is a virtual family office?
- Should we hire a family office executive before creating a plan?
- Where do we start when creating a family office?
We work with families to design and establish family offices that reflect their purpose, complexity, and long-term goals.
This includes defining structure, determining in-house versus outsourced functions, and creating an integrated approach to managing the family’s wealth and activities.
How do we know if we should form a family office?
Our family and business have grown over the years. We now have multiple entities, trusts, investments and advisors, but we're not sure we're "big enough" for a family office. How do we know? Many successful families reach a point where complexity, not just wealth, becomes the deciding factor.
We help you evaluate your family's needs, existing advisors, organizational complexity, and long-term goals to determine whether a family office makes sense, what type is appropriate, and whether the benefits justify the cost.
What is a virtual family office?
We already have good tax, legal, insurance and investment advisors. Do we really need a family office?
Many families don't need to build a large in-house organization. Instead, they benefit from a Virtual Family Office, where trusted outside specialists continue providing their expertise while a dedicated individual or small team coordinates everything, keeps everyone aligned, and ensures nothing falls through the cracks.
Should we hire someone before creating a plan?
We're thinking about hiring a family office executive. Should we do that first?
Usually, no. Before hiring anyone, it's important to define the services your family office will provide, how it will interact with existing advisors, what authority it will have, and what success looks like.
Once the design is complete, you can hire the right person for the role instead of trying to fit the role around the person.
Where do we start?
We're interested in a family office but don't know what the first step should be.
We begin with a structured design process that helps you clarify your family's objectives, identify the services you actually need, determine the right operating model, and develop an implementation roadmap.
Whether you ultimately build a Single Family Office, a Virtual Family Office, or decide your current structure is sufficient, you'll have confidence you're making the right decision.
Strategic Planning
We help family businesses and family offices develop strategic plans that clarify vision, align stakeholders, and guide long-term growth.
Our process brings structure to decision-making, particularly during periods of transition or generational change.
Next-Generation Development
Families often devote significant attention to the continuity of their businesses and family offices, but the long-term success of any enterprise ultimately depends on the people who will lead it.
Through The Charge, Big Canyon Advisors provides one-on-one leadership and character mentorship for young men from family businesses, family offices, and entrepreneurial families. The program is designed to help participants develop responsibility, resilience, judgment, and leadership skills as they prepare for greater responsibility within their families, businesses, and communities.
