Fortunately, in most communities, the manager of a family-owned business is not alone. Other individuals operate small companies for their families and may provide a source of information and help. The managing relative should seek out and cultivate counterparts. You can exchange ideas with them and learn how they solved problems in which their relatives were involved. In a small corporation, the thinking can be stimulated by having outsiders on the board of directors - directors who are not relatives and who are from other types of businesses.
Trade associations are also good sources of information and help.
Through them, the managing relative can get facts from non-competitors.