A message from the desk of a family business owner

Dubai - Make sure everyone feels secure, confident and content in the workplace

When you say 'family business', it often conjures up images of squabbles for power, a small- to medium-sized company that is not welcoming to outsiders, and often run by a controlling patriarch. My experience with family business is completely different. First of all, I started TEC and my husband, sister and other family members joined me later to help grow the company. Today, we are all equally involved. We have grown from being a Dubai-based business to having operations across the Middle East and North Africa attracting the best talent in the market to join our expanding team.
Right from the beginning, I had my family's support. My grandparents gave me my first seed capital, which I am proud to say, I was able to pay back in a short period of time.
It is said that blood is thicker than water; your family is the one you are most closely-bonded to and this bond will strengthen as you pursue business goals together. I draw a lot of strength from my husband Aron and my sister Verity who is my confidante. My mom, who lives in Qatar, is more than happy to give us a helping hand whenever we have events in Doha. Tipi, our family dog, also comes to the office and is the ultimate stress buster for all of us.
Since we are a closely-knit family business, even our employees and clients feel like they are part of the family - making our work environment warm and friendly. So, together as a family, we make sure everyone feels secure, confident and content in our workplace. Openness, a shared vision and comfort level are the advantages of working with one's own family, apart from the others I have listed below.
 
Speedy decision making
Family is a natural team; we care for each other and enjoy spending time together. With every project, be it Cisco, Bloomberg or HSBC, we strive to make a difference, push boundaries, present ideas that are meticulous and do the incredible. We often brainstorm ideas at a family gathering, discuss it with the team the next day and implement it promptly as there is no need to go through lengthy approval processes from line manager to the board of directors. Since we are in the events industry, this is a bonus as it makes our company more agile.
 
Pride: The driving factor
All of us are working towards the same goal and have a vested interest in the company. From a small startup events company, today we have stepped up to launching, positioning and elevating brands throughout the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. There is a greater amount of happiness in working for family business and the success is attributed to everyone in the family. And it is this pride that drives us to succeed all the time, through ups and downs of the economy.
 
Nature and nurture
A family business fosters a nurturing environment as you are working with people who you trust and care for the most. In a business where trade secrets matter, trust is crucial. Since we can openly talk to our family members, and be fearlessly and emotionally honest, the level of trust is very high, I would say 100 per cent. There is no need to conduct background checks on our family members; you can trust them with all your heart, while involving them with confidential and critical aspects of the business. We know what we are getting into, my sister and I have grown up together, and there never a situation where she lied about her strength and weaknesses.
 
Willingness to wear several hats
Job flexibility is one of the greatest advantages of working with your family. Your family is more than willing to take on additional responsibilities outside of their formal job description to ensure the success of your company.
 
Going the extra mile for you
And when things get rough, family members are more willing to make sacrifices for the company. Since they understand they are all in this together for a common goal, you can depend on them. They will always travel that extra mile for you, working at odd hours or just being cheerleaders.
 
Unmatched comfort
You can always be yourself in the office. And the more comfortable we are the more confident we will be to share thoughts, concerns and ideas. There is a phenomenal level of job flexibility. More relaxed work environment leads to less stress at work and give us the energy to deliver exceptional results to a diverse range of clients.
Family can be your biggest competitive advantage if you can work with each other in harmony. It can also transform your company into a highly successful modern business that is able to hire and retain the best talent in the market and expand into other markets, like we have done.
The writer is director at TEC. Views expressed are her own and do not reflect the newspaper's policy.