Share |

entrepreneur

January 31, 2013

A great entrepreneurial idea was behind most, if not all, family businesses. But are families failing to encourage entrepreneurship later down the line – and what will this mean for their future?

Not long after Masakazu Kongo took over construction business Kongo Gumi, he disclosed the secret to the family business’s centuries of success. It was simple, he said in a 2003 interview. The family concentrated almost solely on its core business of building temples – which had worked out well for the Japanese firm for more than 1,000 years.

Entrepreneurship: Tips for nurturing the new generation

January 31, 2013

How can business families encourage entrepreneurship among their members and what do future entrepreneurs need to remember? CampdenFB takes a look.

1: Failure isn’t a bad thing
Most entrepreneurs will fail a couple of times before succeeding. “I don’t think that’s a bad thing. It hurts but I think you can learn a lot from that, if people around you are supportive,” says Johan Andresen, the fifth-generation owner of Norwegian conglomerate Ferd.

Deep pile

May 31, 2012

Nicolas Bouckaert is the head of his family’s carpet-making business, Beaulieu of America. But that hasn’t stopped him being an entrepreneur.

I wanted an opportunity to get some outside experience – get my feet wet really – before jumping into the family business. It is more valuable to learn by doing things on your own. You will make mistakes, sure, but you learn from them – it is just a different type of learning that you may not get by going directly into the family company.

Family business head wins entrepreneurship award

December 7, 2011

Diwan Rahul Nanda, head of Indian family business Topsgrup, the country’s largest security provider by revenues, has been named the Outstanding Entrepreneur of the Year at the TiE UK Annual Awards.

Organised by a division of The Indus Entrepreneurs, an organisation formed in 1992 by a group of Indian business tycoons, the awards focus on recognising entrepreneurship among Asian business stalwarts in the UK.

New entrepreneur survey reveals increasing optimism

August 5, 2010

A new quarterly survey that tracks entrepreneurs’ business sentiment worldwide indicates a strong revival of business optimism as debt levels at many companies fall.

A new quarterly survey that tracks entrepreneurs' business sentiment worldwide indicates a strong revival of business optimism as debt levels at many companies fall.

The Global Entrepreneur Indicator, launched by the Entrepreneurs' Organisation and Standard Chartered Private Bank, revealed that over the next 12 months almost all entrepreneurs (96%) predict their headcount will rise or remain the same, with more than three quarters (76%) predicting an increase.

Succession at Swatch

July 21, 2010

Despite having sold 350 million watches since 1983, the Swatch Group could easily have lost its bearings following the recent death of founder Nicolas Hayek, write Peter Leach and Alexandra Sharpe.

Despite having sold 350 million watches since 1983, the Swatch Group could easily have lost its bearings following the recent death of Nicolas Hayek, the founder and widely heralded savior of the Swiss watch industry, write Peter Leach and Alexandra Sharpe.

Bel: on a mission to become the big cheese

September 1, 2007

Groupe Bel has grown from a small curing firm to the largest pre-cut processed cheese provider in the world. Marc Smith talks to fifth-generation CEO Antoine Fievet about the company’s history, its ground-breaking marketing campaigns and the world of cheese

Marc Smith is acting editor of Families in Business.

Groupe Bel has grown from a small curing firm to the largest pre-cut processed cheese provider in the world. Marc Smith talks to fifth-generation CEO Antoine Fievet about the company's history, its ground-breaking marketing campaigns and the world of cheese

A global pawprint

May 1, 2007

Family-run VIP Petfoods has made a fortune down under. Having built up a large share in the Australian economy, the firm is about to expand worldwide. But how does it plan to change its USP in order to be accepted by western markets? Melanie Stern finds out

Melanie Stern is the former section editor of Families in Business.

The great big family giveaway

March 1, 2007

Business-owning families are becoming savvier all round. Nowhere is this more evident than in the world of philanthropy, where families are not only giving more, but giving more wisely. Andy Rosenbaum investigates the latest trends in giving

Andy Rosenbaum is a freelance writer based in the UK.

Grant your child permission to be an entrepreneur

November 1, 2004

Parents are the most influential factor in unleashing the next generation's entrepreneurial development. Daisy Medici explains how parents can foster entrepreneurship by giving children permission to express their passions, experience failures and celebrate successes against a backdrop of family love, respect and core values

Daisy Medici is managing director of Genus Resources, a family business consulting firm.