We The People

WE THE PEOPLE

We the people begins the Preamble to the United States Constitution and probably one of the more recognized three-word phrases one can find when studying how the federal government in the United States is supposed to work.

The entire Preamble reads as follows:

We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

“We the people…” is certainly a powerful and compelling one sentence statement!

The Founding Fathers could not have crafted a better mission statement for our nation, then -- and for the here and now!

“When a family business is considering creating a mission statement or family governance guidelines, substituting ‘We the Family’ for ‘We the People’ is a good place to start, a great way to get the conversation started,” according to leading family business expert Don Schwerzler.

Why are family business Mission Statements and Family Business Constitutions so important? They help improve and clarify communication both in the business and within the family.

“Communication issues for families in business together are significant causes of concern - problems in the family tend to cascade into the business – and conversely, business problems tend to cascade into the family.”

Schwerzler has been studying and advising family business entrepreneurs for more than 40 years and he is the founder of the Family Business Institute, an internationally recognized family business advisory service headquartered in Atlanta, GA.

Not unlike a dysfunctional family business, our government in Washington DC has become more focused on political ideology and personal power & grandstanding than what is best for our country and certainly not what is best for the economic engine that drives the American economy – the family-owned business.

We recently found an interesting presentation statement on YouTube that is worth taking a few minutes to hear

We The People

If you would care to post a comment about your reaction to We The People, please use our Family Business Forum, our family business “soapbox”.

Not only does our Forum provide you an opportunity to share your thoughts and insights with other visitors to our site, but you can also include a brief marketing message about your family business, including a link from our web site to yours – our way of saying thanks for sharing!

Use Our Soap Box - Be part of our PAG!

Our Family Business Forum is designed as a PAG (Peer Advisory Group) platform for family business owners to offer tips and ideas to other family businesses.

Let’s face it, if you are waiting for a government "bailout" for your family business - Good Luck!

Trouble is, sometimes family business owners run out of new ideas to try.

You know the old definition of insanity - that is where someone is doing the same thing over and over and expecting to get different results!

As a family business - have you tried a new idea or strategy to improve your business - that yielded unexpected results?

Share your thinking with other family businesses. Share your success stories - those new and old ideas that have worked for you.

What tips or strategies would you recommend to other family business owners that would enable them to survive and prosper in today's economy?

Share your ideas for saving money or tips for helping grow their business.

Our Family Business Forum can be a great place to share ideas and opinions. Take a few minutes to help others!

As a way of saying "thanks for helping", when we publish your contribution, we can also publish a link to your web site - a way of helping promote your business!

Tell us about your family business – maybe your contribution will enable you to acquire a new customer!

If you have concerns about protecting your family and your business from the policies coming out of Washington DC - here is an opportunity to have your voice heard!

As a family business owner, what advice would you offer to the political establishment in Washington - specific recommendations that would make it easier for your family business to succeed?