The aim of this article is to study how the family businesses could be used as an instrument to improve the work-life-balance. Our main tasks are: to outline some advantages of family businesses for work-life balance; to give some specifics of the family businesses in Albania, Bulgaria and Uzbekistan; to present some academic activities in four HEIs in support to family entrepreneurship; to compare some student responds in these four HEIs about their intentions to have family businesses Keywords: entrepreneur, family businesses, work-life-balance, regional development

The development of entrepreneurial education programs in universities have a positive impact on the intentions of students to run their own businesses. The aim of the article is to demonstrate that the generation's digital competencies could play an essential role in the development of intergenerational family businesses. The third-generation family members have grown up with technology and possess a unique set of skills and knowledge that can be leveraged to modernize and improve their family business. Research was carried out in 2023 at the University of Ruse with 434 learners. The study shows that students' intention to become entrepreneurs is significantly altered as a result of the acquisition of basic digital skills and competencies.

The main focus of this article is to highlight the relationship between social intelligence and entrepreneurial intentions of students from higher education systems. This relationship is essential for the deployment of the concept of social economy and the promotion of socially responsible business models. Family businesses and social enterprises are among the promising business initiatives of the future that should be encouraged throughout the educational process, from kindergarten to doctoral students. In this regard, this chapter aims to present a comparative study of the relationship between social intelligence and the entrepreneurial intentions of respondents from Politehnica University Timisoara, Romania and the University of Ruse “Angel Kanchev”, Bulgaria. The study substantiates the thesis that, through its components—social support and self-efficacy—students’ social intelligence influences their desire and intention to start a business venture. In addition, the authors prove that an individual’s social intelligence plays a vital role in the formation of socially responsible business ventures. The results of the study indicate that educational institutions should make efforts to initiate or enrich already existing courses that develop social intelligence and belonging among students. Therefore, this study is important for researchers, practitioners, and other stakeholders. The research contributes to social economy theory, social entrepreneurship, and intergenerational business models.