How a Fractional COO Helps Family Legacy Companies Move Forward
Family owned businesses -they’re not just companies; they’re part of the family’s identity, history, and future. But with that legacy comes weight—expectations, emotions, and sometimes even old systems that don’t fit today’s challenges. If you run a family business, you know it’s not just a business. It’s your name on the door, your history in the walls, and your family’s future tied up in every decision.
Most legacy companies I meet with are pulled in two directions:
Reviewing the traditions that build the company - especially if the business recently moved to the next generation.
Figure out how to grow in today’s market without the new changes upsetting the “old guard”.
It’s like driving with one foot on the gas while only looking in the rearview mirror. You don’t want to lose what makes your company “yours,” but you also know things can’t stay the same forever.
That’s where OPPs Now comes in.
A Fresh Pair of Eyes Without the Family Politics
Every family business has conversations that circle back again and again: “But that’s how Grandpa did it” or “We can’t change that—Dad would never approve.” Those traditions matter. But sometimes they keep you stuck. I recently even heard “we may fight, but we still see it as family versus non-family”.
A Fractional COO is an outsider who can see the business clearly—without being tangled in the family dynamics. I don’t show up to take sides; I show up to build systems that move everyone forward.
From “Everything Runs Through Me” to a Stronger Team
So many family business owners tell me: “I can’t even take a week off—everything still comes to me.” That’s not a badge of honor, that’s a bottleneck and work-clog.
A COO’s job is to build leadership layers and processes so decisions don’t all land on your plate. We design workflows that allow you to trust your team, breathe a little, and maybe even take that vacation without checking email every 10 minutes. It is hard, it takes time, but you can walk away for a week or two.
Bridging Generations Without Burning Bridges
Here’s the other big challenge: younger generations want innovation, tech upgrades, and new strategies. Older generations want to preserve the core values and reputation they worked decades to build. Also known as apps versus paper in my life.
Neither is wrong. I help translate between the two, creating a roadmap that respects the past while preparing for the future. As an “elder millennial” I have the benefit of loving a good paper report to highlight, but also know which tech stack might make life easier. Or harder!
A favorite comment from a client I ever heard “I know that you are right and he is wrong, but I have to have Thanksgiving dinner with him”. I don’t want to ruin Thanksgiving dinner, think of OPPs as making sure Thanksgiving can stay on the important topics like football and pie.
Preserving the Legacy, Strengthening the Future
Bringing in an outside COO isn’t about stripping away your family’s identity. It’s about protecting it by making sure the business survives—and thrives—for another generation.
Think of it like updating your family’s old house. You don’t bulldoze it; you fix the foundation, replace the wiring, and add a modern kitchen. You keep the heart, but make sure it is functional in todays world.
At the end of the day, your family business is a legacy. A Fractional COO just helps make sure it doesn’t get stuck in the past.
