The Business is Our Client The foundation of the BPSolutions LLC methodology for family businesses is a multidisciplinary approach which includes a psychologist and a business professional.  This comprehensive process is designed to address issues in the family/partnership and business systems simultaneously, the premise being that lasting progress is attainable only when the needs of both systems are satisfied.   Initial client contact with BPS most often comes from a family member or partner under extreme stress from family/partnership and/or business issues.  During this initial contact the BPS professional will emphasize that in every engagement the business will be the client, not any individual or faction within the company.  The next step would be the arrangement of an exploratory meeting with all the family/partnership members at which the issues facing the individuals and the business would be discussed.  These meetings will surface the challenges confronting the business and the group.  At this point the family/partners would decide whether to move on to the Assessment phase of the engagement. Typically the Assessment includes hour long interviews with owner managers, non-manager stockholders, spouses, key non-family managers, and professionals who provide counsel and other services to the company.   The Assessment would provide a snapshot of the company and family/partnership issues as identified by the BPS professionals.  Further, the Assessment would include recommendations for an Implementation Phase that would address the challenges as well as the goals articulated by the family/partners for the long term health and productivity of their business.  The length and scope of the Assessment varies according to the number of individuals involved and by the complexity of the emotional and business issues at hand. Depending on the goals of the engagement implementation of Assessment recommendations generally involves twelve to twenty-four months of intensive work with the BPS consultants.  Day long meetings are held monthly with “homework” assignments for each of the participants between meetings.  Phone and e-mail discourse is encouraged.  Success is measured in the longevity of solutions reached during the Implementation Phase of the engagement for both the family/partners and for the business.