Interested in the key findings from the Family Business Survey?

How have Canadian family businesses performed over the past year? What challenges with they face in the future? Click the image below to view highlights from the Canadian report!

Visit www.pwc.com/ca/familybusiness to download a copy of Creating a lasting legacy, the Canadian supplement to the 2012/13 PwC Global Family Business Survey, as well as related Let's Talk articles.

A strategic plan is the cornerstone to a company’s competitive advantage

There is often a lack of understanding about what a strategic plan really involves and the impact that it has on a company’s long-term growth.

Russell Fordham, a director in the consulting and deals practice of PwC, wasn’t surprised when participants of an informal poll conducted during a recent Growing your business webinar revealed that only 12% believed their employees could communicate their company’s vision. This disconnect can often stem from a lack of understanding about the strategic planning process and how to best cascade the plan internally throughout an organization.

This Let’s Talk article suggests how to begin the planning process, focus and prioritize initiatives, the importance of performance management and how to make a strategic plan come to life.

Thinking of growing your business? Listen to one company's advice

Weatherhaven is a Vancouver-based company that builds shelter systems and camps for a variety of customers around the world. In the following video, Weatherhaven CEO Ray Castelli talks about their strategic plan to break through the issue of scalability, including their need to develop their supply chain to build the revenue and growth potential of the company globally. 

Growing your business: A webinar series for leaders of private companies

With more private companies focused on growing in an increasingly complex global economy, we have created a five-part series of short webinars for leaders of private companies. Each session will focus on a key area that supports your growth strategy and can help you build enterprise value.

We’ll share what we see the most successful private companies doing, challenge you with some thought-provoking questions, and leave time for an open discussion to answer your specific questions. Beyond the webinar series, we will always be happy to continue the conversation with you.

We invite you to register for the whole series, or just the sessions that are most relevant for your business, by clicking here.  

Introducing the Business Insights Survey of Canadian Private Companies 2011

Embracing the new

How have private companies fared through the volatile business landscape of the past year? What are they doing to position themselves for growth in the long-term? At a time when uncertain economic indicators are keeping everyone guessing on a daily basis, the seventh annual Business Insights Survey of Canadian Private Companies provides valuable insights for the private company community.

Have a family business? A family council could be the key to success

Here are three things to keep in mind when creating a family council:

• Start with a family meeting to really look at the family’s vision, its values and needs. Why are these important to you, and your family? How will you manage disagreement as a family on business issues?
• Set out very clear objectives and guidelines for each meeting. A facilitator can also help challenge the family to make sure they are adhering to identified values and goals. It is a best practice to have facilitation, for that non-biased support. The goal is to equip the family council with tools and skills and structures to ‘self manage’ effectively
• Keep in mind it’s a long-term process. A good family council doesn’t happen instantly. This is something that needs to evolve and develop over time, and it will grow and evolve as the family and business does.

Read the complete article featuring Sharon Duguid, director, Centre for Family Business and Entrepreneurs at PwC.

Laying the foundation for BRICs

More and more private companies are setting their sights on emerging and fast-growing markets (EFGMs), but don’t know where to start or what the risks might be. The present emerging markets landscape is dominated by the BRICs – Brazil, Russia, India, and China – but a second tier of rapidly developing markets, including Indonesia and Mexico, is catching up. Download the detailed report and country snapshots to read more about the opportunities and challenges of expanding into growth markets.

What do private equity investors look for in a company?

In a recent PwC survey of Canadian family businesses, we found that 33% of family business leaders who are anticipating a change of ownership plan to sell to a private equity investor.

Focused on family businesses

We've launched the Canadian supplement to the 2010/11 PwC Global Family Business Survey, Making the next move.

Find out what family businesses have to say about their major concerns, the environment in which they operate and the unique factors that affect their business.

Click here to read more...

Introducing the Business Insights Survey of Canadian Private Companies 2010: The new business as usual

The sixth annual Business Insights Survey of Canadian Private Companies reveals how private companies have fared over the past year and what leading private companies are doing to prepare for the future.

Visit the Business Insights page to download a copy of the national report, as well as regional “On-the-ground perspective” reports for British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec.