CircleMakers expands succession advisory for family businesses

CircleMakers has launched expanded advisory services and a free six-month webinar series to help family businesses plan leadership transitions, ownership changes and family governance. The move targets a common gap: many family firms expect succession but lack a clear plan or confidence in the next generation.

Why it matters: - Family businesses often know succession is coming, but many do not have a detailed plan. - The gap can affect leadership continuity, ownership decisions and family relationships during a generational transition. - CircleMakers is positioning its expanded services as a practical way to help owners move from awareness to action.

What happened: - CircleMakers announced expanded family business advisory services on November 2, 2026. - The firm also introduced a free, six-month webinar series for family business owners. - The program is designed to help families prepare new leaders, align ownership decisions and protect family relationships. - Todd Garretson, founder of CircleMakers, said the work helps families turn succession questions into decisions and a practical path forward.

The details: - An estimated 40% of family businesses are undergoing, or will undergo, a leadership succession within the next 10 years. - Only about half of family businesses have thorough, well-developed succession plans. - Just 37% are highly confident the next generation is prepared to lead. - The expanded offering combines practical education, facilitated workshops and ongoing advisory support. - CircleMakers says the services are meant to help families prepare future leaders, clarify ownership roles and decision-making authority, and protect family relationships. - The free live webinars will run from November 2026 through April 2027. - The six 60-minute sessions will cover ownership transition and management succession, strategy and culture, building multi-generational businesses, leadership teams, next-generation development and family business boards. - Each webinar is designed to help participants develop a one-page action plan. - Workshops, retreats and offsites will offer customized in-person sessions for owners, families and executives. - Ongoing advisory support and coaching will focus on succession and ownership transfer, next-generation development, governance, strategic growth and family communication. - The Family Constitution process is designed to turn unspoken assumptions into shared agreements about values, ownership, governance, decision-making and succession. - CircleMakers’ succession resource hub includes a seven-phase blueprint and a ten-point readiness self-assessment. - Owners, next-generation leaders and executives can access resources and upcoming webinars at the succession resource hub.

Between the lines: - The announcement reflects a broader shift in family business planning from a single ownership transfer to a more complicated mix of leadership, governance and family dynamics. - The focus on workshops, coaching and family agreements suggests the firm sees succession as an ongoing process, not a one-time legal event. - The one-page action plan approach indicates CircleMakers wants to make planning more accessible for owners who have not yet started formal succession work.

What's next: - Family business owners can use the webinars, workshops and advisory services to begin or refine succession planning. - CircleMakers will continue rolling out the webinar series through April 2027. - The company expects families to use the resource hub to identify gaps and prioritize next steps.

The bottom line: - CircleMakers is expanding its advisory toolkit to help family businesses close a common succession-planning gap before leadership transitions become urgent.