Our mission is to illuminate the field of family enterprise and facilitate the success of business families for multiple generations with research, education and unparalleled service.
Why taking care of business means taking care of families
Put business and family together, and you have a powerful mix. In fact, family enterprise forms the backbone of the Canadian economy, with families owning or controlling an estimated 80 per cent of all businesses. But here is the problem few people understand: the fundamental principles applied to most businesses simply do not address the unique issues that confront modern business families—not their distinct business challenges, and certainly not the interpersonal dynamics that families inevitably face.
Founded in 2001 as a first-of-its-kind centre for business families—plus their non-family executives and professional advisors. The Business Families Centre (BFC) is now an unrivalled resource for every issue relevant to the entrepreneurial family, including governance, relationships, advisors, wealth preservation and succession from one generation to the next—whether the business is still active or your family's goal is to grow and preserve its wealth.
Backed by the reputation and pedigree of one of the preeminent business schools, UBC's Sauder School of Business, the BFC has grown to become an invaluable resource to the business family community in Canada and internationally. A non-profit organization, the BFC has the generous support of business families and prominent organizations in our community.
Putting families first
The fundamental principles applied to most businesses simply do not address the unique challenges faced by business families. Delivered by world-class experts in the field of family enterprise, our interactive and practical Programs for Families feature the latest findings in the field.
Creating better advisors for you
One of the things we've learned from working with family enterprise for more than a decade is the shortage of specially-skilled advisors. In a search for a solution to this challenge, we pioneered a new field of study aimed at advisors working with entrepreneurial families.
Our Family Enterprise Advisor Program targets accountants, lawyers, bankers, financial planners, therapists, coaches and facilitators—augmenting their technical skills with a deeper understanding of business families and the unique issues they face. The program puts advisors on track to receiving the Family Enterprise Advising (FEA) accreditation—the only designation that specializes in Family Enterprise Advising.
A multitude of resources at one stop
The Sauder School of Business is Canada's leading academic business school, with a significant and growing international reputation for excellence in research and learning combined with an unmatched network of global partnerships. Through our relationships and community networks, we provide business families and advisors with access to a multitude of resources designed to assist their issues and challenges, including personal assistance, referrals and information. As a hub of business-family activity, we also deliver unique opportunities for families, advisors, and executives to meet and share their experiences.
Undergraduate and graduate programs
In order to maximize our impact on the next generation of business family leaders, we create formative new academic curricula at the undergraduate and graduate levels that are focused on business family issues.
Provocative research
Our business is knowledge creation and sharing. As part of the number one research university in Canada, we investigate the business-family issues that are revolutionizing the field of family enterprise studies. Our research strives to expand the core understanding of business families, and to develop tools and strategies that address their evolving needs.