How to... Bring your children into the family business

Although it is often a sensitive process, bringing children into the family business doesn't have to be contentious.

Michael Brown, president of Ben Brown Insurance Inc., has worked with sons Ryan and Evan for 13 years. Remaining open to and invested in his sons' ideas through the years has allowed the elder Brown to build confidence in what they bring to the table.

“It's like slowly passing the torch,” says Brown. “You just watch what they do and say, 'Wow, this is really working,' and then you give them more and more.”