Family Businesses

The strength of the family business

The Netherlands has nearly 280,000 family businesses, which together account for over 70% of the Gross National Product. Of all the employees in the Netherlands, more than half are employed by family businesses. As such, family businesses are the backbone of the Dutch economy.

The success of family businesses is often explained by the fact that the continuity of the family business is paramount for “family owners”. They are not concerned with achieving short-term profits, but with sustainable growth. In addition to a strong financial commitment to the business, there is a strong emotional attachment.

The challenges of family businesses

The challenges facing family businesses specifically relate to the relationship between business interests and family interests and often involve the legal structure (corporate governance) of the family business, business succession/transfer, as well as conflict prevention and resolution. Questions that arise in the process include:

How can I involve family members and/or non-family members in the business operations and allocate tasks and powers without losing control and without making decision-making too slow?
How do I provide for my succession or the transfer of my business and is my business ready for sale?
How do I ensure as far as possible that a conflict within the family does not block the continuity of decision-making within the company?

In addition to the specific challenges listed above, family businesses also face other challenges:

Am I adequately prepared for situations of divorce, illness and/or death?
How can I be a good employer in a time of labour shortages and do my employment conditions match market demand?
Is data privacy well protected in my organisation?
Are my leases still up to date?

In short, plenty of questions and challenges for which you require a legal sparring partner.

What can Van Benthem & Keulen do for family businesses?

Van Benthem & Keulen is a full-service law firm and notarial practice. In addition to our expertise and sectoral approach, we have a clear focus on family businesses. Why? Because we identify with the dynamics of family businesses, because we have worked for large and medium-sized family businesses for many years and because we have all the knowledge and experience to give family businesses peace of mind in their legal and other affairs. We believe in personal relationships, in proactive advice and in discussing issues and helping you to find solutions that are best for you and your business.