There are also many people you might not realise are small family owned businesses
This Friday (September 18th) we celebrate National Family Business Day. There are so many family businesses that have been struggling this year. Covid and restrictions meant they had to shut doors. Some temporarily, some permanently. We have a number of family owned businesses as clients and fortunately they have survived Covid.
SecureCash even had a celebration dinner recently as we had trudged through the restrictions, keeping all staff on regular hours. Survival of Covid was a big thing to celebrate when we looked at the other small businesses that were put out of business during 2020. Checking in on LinkedIn regularly, I would see so many people offering to help those laid off. It was heartwarming to see the support, but troubling to see the numbers of people now without steady employment.
We are not only a family owned business, they have “adopted” us all into their family and treat us as such. Any of our staff are there for each other, and help out in any circumstances we can. Missing dog? Business owner walking the streets at night to help you out. Need advice on finance? Business owner sending connections and setting personal times aside to help answer questions. Need to relax? Girls night out (with the owner!).
I have worked in a different environment before. (Many people have had more than one job.) And that former job site was nothing like this! It is a hard thing to get used to as well at times. That your colleagues care about you and what is happening in your life.
There are quite a few large companies out there today that may have started as family businesses, and some that remain so. There are also many people you might not realise are small family owned businesses. The dog groomer at your local vet may sob-contract and run their own business. The coffee cart near uni may very well be a franchised cart from a national chain. Family owned businesses are not always obvious.
That so many family businesses have been doing it tough and they still need our support. With the ending of Job Keeper in March next year, many payrolls are going to carry all wages without economic support. There could still be hard times to come for some companies.
Many finance teams have used the Job Keeper funds to run their businesses, knowing the money they previously had to assign to wages can be repurposed. It has given companies much more freedom to continue operating during Covid and ensure they were not contributing to the unemployment figures that began spiralling.
Once the supplement ceases, these funds that perhaps helped keep their business afloat will now have to return to their intended purpose. This second wave of financial cuts could see another round of layoffs and redundancies. As some people predict Covid affecting us for years to come, this could be one of the ongoing repercussions of the virus.
Courtesy, Family Business Australia
So, have a morning tea on Friday. Share photos on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter or Instagram and use #NFBD20 to go into the draw for a hamper from another family owned business – Haigh’s Chocolates! Family Business Australia would love to see how we all celebrate the day.
Celebrate your own family owned business, or someone you know. Perhaps your local deli owner who always orders in your favourite brand of milk? Or the gift shop you always go to for presents for your loved ones. There are so many family owned businesses out there – some very large, some smaller. Support them all at this time!
