Wow, what a ride this year has been so far for FBNZ and our family business community. Some businesses are thriving and many of us are simply ‘surviving’ as we juggle working from home and family pressures. Family businesses are resilient and when faced with adversity, they tackle it head first! Please know that we are here to support you every step of the way so please reach out - I am your go-to-woman!
Now, more than ever, there is a need for a membership organisation that can provide you with peer-to-peer support and tools to keep your organisation and family strong. We have seen an increase in our membership this year and have just hit 100 total members which is an amazing achievement for an organisation that has only existed for 2 years! We know that we have the formula right and have the resources to support you and your family business.
Stay tuned as we refine our membership value proposition and bring you more resources, thought leadership, education opportunities and engaging family business stories face-to-face or via our virtual platforms.
Also, book now and save your spot at our next face-to-face event - our Annual Breakfast with The Jones Family on 4 November 2021 (rescheduled from August 2021).
I have put together my personal highlights that I wish to share with you all as we edge closer towards the later months of the year.
1. Creating peer-to-peer learning opportunities
It's a thumbs up from me and many of our family businesses on our membership offerings and peer-to-peer engagement activities.
This year we have brought you first-hand insights from two family businesses, St Pierre's International and Swiss-belhotel International who graciously opened their doors and hosted us at our Meet the Owners networking functions. We held our first Insights Conference and also launched our first Forum Group program plus delivered our online Family Business Essentials Workshop - a free offering to support our family business members.
2. Celebrating Together
We have had ample opportunities to connect with each other and celebrate together and I see that the bonds between members grow each time we meet. Relationships are going beyond 'just business' and there is a vulnerability in sharing stories including trials and tribulations of managing the dynamics of family and business. The relationships you build now will put you in good stead for your businesses to surpass for generations to come.
This year we celebrate the induction of The Hynds Group as our first Hall of Fame inductee at the Family Business Insights Conference and it was a delight to share the accomplishments of this incredible family business whose values sit at the core of everything they do - you can read more about their induction here.
Don't forget that we are celebrating National Family Business Day on Friday, 17 September 2021 and this is another great opportunity to celebrate our strengths so please get together with your family and your teams (personally or virtual) and post across your social media using the hashtag #NFBD21.
3. A strong sense of belonging
I love bringing people together and with a cold glass of Chardonnay in hand and chatting to members at the end of an event makes me one happy girl! It was a pleasure to bring together our first NZ half-day conference in June 2021 where close to 60 of our members gathered to hear from each other and experts on topics from succession, diversification, corporate social responsibility, values, wealth transfer and mental health.
Thank you for continuing to support our events program and I am working on next year being even bigger and better!
4. Building confidence that we have it right!
After two years of building the business you can now see we are in it for the long haul and that is credit to your support and belief in what we do.
I am passionate about connecting the family business community together and if you know anyone who you would like to bring into the fold - please invite them to an event, invite them to coffee with us or send them a link to our website so they can see who we are and what we do.
We are here for the family of the business as well as supporting the business of the family.
5. Maintaining our partnerships
This year we have cemented some amazing partnerships with advisory firms such as Grant Thornton, EWM Group and Crombie Lockwood.
Our partners play an instrumental role in contributing thought leadership and content to our membership. We look for partners that provide value to our family business membership and whose core principles align with ours. I look forward to fostering greater relationships with each of our partners and their wider teams.
Grant Thornton New Zealand will be delivering our upcoming Family Business Financial Essentials Course on the 14th & 21st October 202. This is just one example of how we work closely with our partners to help you strengthen your knowledge on all areas of family business operations.
I wish you and your families all the best as we navigate this COVID-19 driven world. I hope to see you in November at our Annual Breakfast with The Jones Family when we resume our face-to-face activity and until then Kia Kaha - stay strong, stay safe and support one another.
Nicole Oswell
FBNZ Country Manager
noswell@familybusiness.org.nz