For many students, the future might already have a familiar front door. Maybe it’s the farm your grandparents built. Maybe it’s the construction company your parents run. Maybe it’s the restaurant where you spent summers bussing tables, learning the business long before you realized it. Family businesses are everywhere. In fact, they make up around 80% of businesses worldwide and play a major role in Nebraska’s economy. For students who are part of a family business or planning to join one someday, understanding how these businesses work is essential.
ENTR 322: Family Business, offered through the Nebraska Center for Entrepreneurship, allows students to explore what makes family businesses unique. In this course, students dive into the real dynamics of businesses run by parents, siblings, and multiple generations. Through class discussion and connections with local and alumni family businesses, students gain insight into both the opportunities and challenges that come with working alongside family.
Throughout the course, students sharpen their ability as young managers to recognize and respond to the unique characteristics of family businesses. They explore important topics such as shared governance, leadership development, succession planning, and navigating family tensions within a business environment. The class creates space for open conversations where students can share experiences, ask questions, and learn from one another.
One past student shared, “I’ve learned so much about resolving conflict, expanding your family business, and how to plan for the succession of the family business. This class made me think about my family's business in ways I never had before.”
Whether you plan to return to your family’s business, launch your own family venture, or simply want to better understand the dynamics behind many successful companies, this course provides valuable insight that few business classes offer.
Students interested in enrolling in ENTR 322: Family Business for Fall 2026 can request a permission code here: https://go.unl.edu/entr322
More details at: https://go.unl.edu/entr322