Scottish Forum for Family Business Research (SFFBR)

'Promoting growth, business development, learning and engagement within Scotland’s Family Enterprises’

Scottish Forum for Family Business Research is part of Queen Margaret Business School. The Forum specialises in:

Excellence in practice focussed family business research
Business education, via undergraduate degree courses, postgraduate research and study and a business support signposting
Providing a link to the business advisory community
Facilitating discussion with and amongst family business communities

About the Forum

Working in collaboration with Scottish and UK Agencies, our mission is to:

Promote growth, business development, learning and engagement with Scotland’s family enterprises through research, policy and practice.

Our objectives are to:

Provide family businesses, academics and policy makers with relevant innovative projects that support the growth, development and quality of family enterprises
Identify areas where business support can assist the development, growth and sustainability of family businesses in local and international markets – with the types of support that would be useful
Enhance links between family businesses, communities, researchers and policy makers

Our Co-Founders are:

Scottish Regional Editors
UK Family Business
Journal of Family Business

Our Research & Community Management is Allied to:

Working with Family Businesses

The Scottish Family Business Research Forum can help businesses to review the business operation, taking into account family expectation, the markets in which the business operates and the customers the business serves.

A review can help:

To assess the business, the markets in which it operates and the scope for business development
To assess key short-term business support needs and to identify areas where business support might be accessed
To identify medium-to-long term business needs
To involve and inform those who will be affected by the issues identified
To develop plans to address the relevant tasks, including a timescale, a programme and identified areas where support would be required to facilitate business growth, development and sustainability.
To identify business advisors who may be able to assist

Links to Professional Organisations and Global Networks

Staff within the SFFBR have extensive links with the wider family business research and practice communities, including a number of professional organisations. The global family business communities play a major role in the sharing of expertise, experience and wisdom about the facets that make family businesses unique. Some useful links are shown below:

The UK Family Business Alliance facilitates communication between family business practitioners and researchers across the UK and beyond.

The Family Firm Institute Inc is the world association for professional advisors who work with family businesses.

The International Family Enterprise Research Association.