Why would you choose to work with a family-run business opposed to a large corporate company? You’re looking for the best and often we think the bigger, the better. This is not always true. Family-operated businesses are uniquely valuable in the marketplace for a variety of reasons. Let us walk you through five core advantages of working with a family-owned and operated business.

1. You can be assured they have a core set of values guiding them. Just as in any family, they will support each other and build a strong foundation of leadership. Family businesses often work harder at building a reputation for excellence and always strive to be the most reliable and trustworthy. At MGR, this is manifested through our leading principle: “Treating our clients’ investments as if they were our own.”

2. Family businesses do not generally have a bureaucratic board governing every decision that is made. At MGR, we can think about something in the morning and get to work on it by the afternoon. Every decision is made in a timely manner to best serve our clients. Most family businesses have eliminated the politicized process of getting things done, which means faster service for you.

3. It’s personal. When you call up a big corporation it could take you hours to get through to someone who can actually help you. At a family business, you’re often in contact with the boss in a matter of minutes. And when you invest in a family business, you are investing in the local community it serves. They employ local residents, pay local taxes, and give to local causes. They provide for their community in ways that corporate companies are not always able to do.

4. Family businesses are successful when you incorporate a level of fearlessness coupled with honesty and trust. There is a greater risk when you’re putting the family name and value on the table, but you also have the ability to be bold in conversations and speak openly to work through challenges. It’s easier to talk fluidly with your family than a corporate board who is just looking to make the next deal.

5. We are always thinking about the future. When children are raised in a family business, you have a competitive edge at your fingertips. The next generation has the ability to foster growth through targeting a new market. A smart leader in family business will encourage their children to pitch new ideas and explore new concepts. We all know that the marketplace is changing rapidly every day, and family businesses will be the first left behind if they aren’t able to adapt.

At the end of the day, we are all people serving people. For us, this topic hits close to home because we are a proud, family-run company. Shortly after graduating college, Dana Rademaker, daughter of Founder/CEO Michael G. Rademaker, joined our team at MGR and has not skipped a beat. She is always bringing in fresh ideas and keeping our company’s vision and values intact. We work diligently to stay true to our values and we are blessed to be able to share it with our family, and the family we have created at MGR.