Introduction
Businesses worldwide are classified into two categories Family run businesses and Non-Family run businesses. The DNA of both categories is very different and has its own pros and cons. The external factors remain the same to both the businesses while the internal factors differ. Smooth running of family run businesses requires more skills in comparison to non-family run businesses as people are more emotional; possess subconscious behavior, more inward looking, etc.

For any business the leaders and managers are very important for success and these people should have pre-requisite skills and capabilities to discharge their duties. Management team in family run businesses mostly constitute of family members irrespective of their skill sets and capabilities and so the professionals have a myth that the family run businesses are unprofessional and prefer to work with non-family run businesses.

FABRIC (Family Business Research International Centre)
FABRIC is a boutique consulting firm promoted by Sri. Tatwamasi Dixit, as a consulting arm of Ojas Foundation. FABRIC is dedicated to Family Business Development offering specialist advice and service in the following areas: -

	Family Business Structuring
	Change Management through Organization Development
	Executive Coaching and mentoring

Family businesses are either evolved or devolved. This needs constant monitoring and evaluation for its efficacious functioning. FABRIC assesses and reviews the organization's current owner-mangers DNA and business position and advice the management to hone its skills and talents to reinvent themselves to meet the emerging challenges and craft the vision for future.

Vision
To help family groups identify their DNA and align their energies to build an institution.

Mission

	Assist in tapping the potential
	To contribute to the Business world by bringing Management doctrines found in Vedas and allied scriptures through research and presentations
	To craft professional management and professional leaders for family business.

Philosophy
Weaving the Values for Succession and Growth

How we Value Add?
By understanding the dynamics of the relationships within a family and through understanding individual aspirations and concerns, we are able to envisage future problems and prepare them by putting a solid family and business governance in place. This lies at the heart of our approach. We believe in listening, collaboration and support and live by the old adage that “prevention is better than cure”.

We have a deeper understanding of Indian values & culture in both family and business context which helps us to craft an appropriate solution which fits into the existing design of the family.

Rejuvenating Family Relationship

	Renewal and regeneration of family relationships and bonds
	Establishing Role, Rights and Responsibilities of family members
	Evolving Code of conduct, Policies and Processes for Family Governance
	Career design for family members – pre-entry, entry, induction. Setting up of the Family Office

Rejuvenating Family Business

	Designing Family Business Structure and Roles
	Establishing Governance and Decision making processes
	Institution Building through Succession and Perpetuity design
	Coaching and mentoring the Family managers across generations

Business Restructuring

	Establishing Vision, Goals & objectives
	Designing the Strategy and Growth plans
	Establishing Business Procedures, Processes, Policies and Systems
	Transition from person based organization to system based organization

Our Services
Leadership, Strategic thinking, Adaptability, Confidence and A global perspective are just some of the attributes demanded of successful family business leaders today and our Family Business advisory service has been specifically designed to address these. With an intensive focus on the most challenging aspects of family businesses we help them make the transition from ‘Succession to Success’.

The services we provide are very much dependent on the specific client situation and tailor made in nature.

Consulting
Family Business Development
Family Business Development attends to Business Families and provides process consultation to family members – founder, sibling partnerships and cousin consortiums. It includes:

	Formulating Mission, Vision and Values for the Family and the Business
	Family Retreats – renewal and regeneration of family relationships and communication
	Architecting the Succession and perpetuity
	Building financial hygiene in a family business
	Evolving Policies and Processes for Family Governance
	Management of Differences in the family and business
	Careers for family members – pre-entry, entry, induction
	Professionalizing the Family Business
	Designing the Transition from generation to generation

Coaching and Guiding of leaders and managers for family business
Research suggests that 90% of the world GDP is contributed by family run businesses and only 10% by the rest. Where as in India 50% of the GDP is contributed by family run businesses and the rest 50% by government owned businesses and other non family run businesses. So this proves that the myth of the professionals is wrong. Family run businesses can be professional by bringing in the professionalism into their DNA.

Bringing professionalism does not only mean appointing professionals into the organization but also enabling the family members and non family members in the organization to discharge their duties more professionally. In today’s economic scenario where there is lot of competition arising from globalization, the family businesses are on a look out for recruiting experienced, successful and knowledgeable professionals from various geographies and cultures. Also kith and kin of family leaders are being sent for best of the education available which would help in their business.

The reality is family businesses has a unique way of functioning and has a unique culture. With this it becomes very important to have non family managers who can cope with the style of functioning and adapt to the culture or else lot of disturbances would arise in the existing smooth functioning of the organization.

As suitability of non family managers to the organization is very important suitability and capability of family manager to a job also needs to be assessed carefully or would send wrong signals and demoralize non family managers or professionals who would work with him or her. Various studies have revealed that successful family businesses have put benefits of the business ahead of their personal ones and those families who have put their personal benefits ahead of business benefits have not been successful. In many family businesses family managers bring in their family members into business due to their personal obligations or commitments and do not assess the member on his/her capabilities or fitment to the job role. This affects the business and in turns their personal wealth which is created from the same business. So it is always important to assess the kith and kin of the family manager before entering into the business.

The skill requirements and attitude of a manager/leader whether from family or non family needs to be different depending on the stage of the business. There are different stages which business goes in like – Inception stage (where founder is still the leader in the business), Growth stage (where the children of the founder have joined the business), Expansion and diversification stage or co functioning stage (where different generations are working together in an expanding and diversifying business), etc.

So it is very important for the family businesses to regularly coach and train their family managers and non family managers to cope with ever changing business needs. Regular special coaching needs to be given to non family managers on the way of working in a particular culture of the family business. Also special coaching is required for family leaders and managers on how to manage non family managers who are highly knowledgeable, well experienced and capable but come from different work culture and environment.

Also it has been seen in family businesses that generation gaps create hindrances in the functioning of the business. When a new generation of family joins the business it is very important to smoothly align them above the age old, experienced, non family managers and gain their acceptance and make them discharge their duties with same commitment as ever.

Guiding and coaching for transforming a person from one culture and environment to other or guiding a process of transition for bringing new generation into the business, or any other process needs to be done by well trained and experienced professionals and also needs to be an ongoing process. It is also very important for a third party to take up the task of coaching and guiding which would be unbiased.

We have been helping and guiding various family businesses in creating a successful working environment. We understand the culture of the family and organization, study the stage in which the organization is presently in and then develop a process of coaching and guiding through a scientific process.

Contact Us
For further information on our services or to discuss your requirements please contact by email or by Phone: (044) 2847 2655 / 1841.

FABRIC is based at:
No: 22/2, Judge Jambulingam Street, off Dr Radhakrishnan salai, Mylapore, Chennai 600 004
Email Id	:	fabric@ojasgroup.in