How do you stop being the best-kept secret in your market and start building a visible legacy?

Family businesses are everywhere. You see them when you look—handwritten signs, proud logos, familiar faces behind the counter. But here’s the truth: most aren’t seen. Not really.

They’re loved by their loyal few. Known locally. Sometimes fiercely protected.

But beyond that?

They vanish.

Whether it’s a one-room post office or the sprawling boardroom of L'Oréal, the greatest threat isn’t the economy. It’s obscurity.

Let’s look at three kinds of family firmsand the lesson each holds for those who want to be seen, respected, and remembered.

1. The Village Post Office: Trust Without a Plan

The local post office is more than a business. It’s the unofficial town square. Everyone knows your name yet that doesn't mean you're safe.

What happens when the owner retires?

Is there a next generation ready, or even willing, to take over?

Do the customers know what’s coming?

Visibility isn’t just about marketing. It’s about clarity.

If the future’s a question mark, trust quietly drains away.

2. The Bespoke Chair Maker: Quality vs. Quiet Drama

This is the craftsman’s dilemma:

The family name is carved into every piece.

Reputation is earned through decades of care.

But behind the curtain, something simmers:

A father who clings to tradition.

A son who sees opportunity in change.

Disagreements become delays. Delays become rumours. And before long, your brand becomes less about the product and more about the tension.

Visibility means unity.

Not sameness, but shared purpose.

3. L'Oréal: The Empire with a Family Name

L'Oréal doesn’t sell lipsticks. It sells identity. And it does it on a global scale.

When succession becomes a media spectacle, stock prices wobble. Shareholders whisper. The world watches.

If the world's largest family-owned beauty company can lose control of its narrative, so can anyone.

Visibility at scale requires alignment behind the scenes.

It only takes one unresolved family issue to ripple through the empire.

What Every Family Business Must Ask

It doesn’t matter how big or small your business is. These three questions haunt them all:

Who’s next?

Succession isn’t optional. It’s the invisible clock ticking in every boardroom and backroom.

Can we be trusted? Now and later?

Customers buy more than products. They buy confidence.

Do people even know we’re here?

Being good isn’t enough. You must be visible. Differentiated. Top of mind.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Isn’t visibility just a marketing issue?

Not quite. It’s a leadership issue. Visibility begins with clarity on purpose, on roles, and on where you're heading.

Q: Should small businesses try to act like big brands?

No. But they should learn the lesson: if you don’t tell your story, someone else will. Worse, no one will.

Q: How do I talk about succession without triggering conflict?

Use mentoring language, not management language. Invite curiosity, not control. “What would good look like in 10 years?” is a better start than “When are you leaving?”

Q: What’s the quickest way to become more visible?

Choose one channel and use it well, social media, local press, your shopfront. Then layer stories: your values, your team, your craftsmanship.

Shine a light on what makes you worth remembering.

Visibility isn’t vanity. It’s longevity.

Show up where your customers are.

Share what makes your family business different.

Start the legacy conversation now, not later.

Because if nobody knows you’re here, they won’t notice when you’re gone.

And that’s not risky but strategy.