Hundreds of conversations and consultations with entrepreneurs and business partners of the Family Business Institute resulted in a decision to move the most important event for business families in Poland. This year, we are moving the International Congress of Family Businesses to the ONLINE zone (www.familybusinessweek.pl) and adapting its topics to current business challenges and current topics. The revised formula of the event is 5 exceptional days (18-22 May 2020), which allow for a systemic view of the company's area, leadership, assets, ownership family and global business environment.  

Family business owners dilemmas

Family Business Week is the 5 key areas that every member of the business family should take care of, and feel responsible for the sustainability of the company. According to the Congress initiator, Dr. Adrianna Lewandowska, President of the Family Business Institute - only by acting systematically do we increase attention to every integral part of the family business system! It is this integrity, consistency and fidelity to the values that are important to the systems: family, individual approach of each owner, leadership in the company, management of the company in the context of market decisions and assets, that constitute the potential for longevity...

It is not without a reason that dilemmas such as these arise nowadays among the increasingly frequent questions:

• Do I have the liquidity to go through this crisis? Am I monitoring it in sufficient detail? How to develop different future scenarios? 

• Which costs can I reduce, but not to compromise our common values and ethical behaviour? 

• Should I give up renting offices? Maybe it's better to switch to remote working? Do you plan a new office with 2 meters of space? New office spaces 

• Do you want to reduce service prices? How to break through with an online product/service so as not to die as „one of many"? Is digitisation the only way? 

• Which suppliers will have longer problems with delivering goods to my company? Do you look for new ones or do you help the present? How? 

• How to deal with the feeling of loneliness and abandonment? I make the decision myself, I am responsible for the employees, for their families, for the development and survival of the company?

• How do I care about communication with my employees and their emotions? How to gain understanding of difficult business decisions among employees? 

• How am I supposed to maintain the reputation of our business family, which had to lay off employees in a small town? 

• The role of an external manager in a family business during the COVID-19 era: what decisions to make, how to communicate with the owners when you manage „not your own"? 

• Is the crisis an opportunity for us? If so, can we use it: divestment, investment 

• How deeply (and if at all) do we infringe private property to save business? 

• How to prove the company's value when selling even though the cash register is empty due to a pandemic? How can I sell, but not feel I've been used? 

• Is a pandemic a chance for a successor? Can he be a mentor to a nestor when he's not familiar with „new technologies"? How to be heard and support your family in this situation?

• How to set priorities? What's more important to me? Strong family or strong company? Can you connect it? 

• How to plan development strategy and investments? Is it even possible now...? Or is it necessary? 

• How can we get socially involved? Are there any social actions that fit in with our values and in which we would like/could get involved? Or will we ourselves be the initiators of some socially necessary activities? 

• Will local patriotism be born in Poland thanks to Covid-19? Does he have a chance to get his own for his own, just like the Germans do, on the Vistula?

During the 5 days of Family Business Week, the best experts from all over the world and owners of effective and reputable family businesses from Poland and abroad will provide hints and tips on these topics. They will share their knowledge supported by years of experience and support for both business and family!

The speakers who will present their recipe for success will be: 

Roman Wieczorek - former vice-president of Skanska's world board of directors, who will present answers to the dilemmas of lone leaders and universal principles which, combined with responsibility, lead to changes in business and family reality leading to a better future. 

The representative of the largest business family in Europe - Antoine Mayaud from the Mulliez family (owners of, among others Auchan, Leroy Merlin, Decathlon) will present ways and methods for reconciling savings with the values of a company created for multi-generationality. 

Dr. Adrianna Lewandowska, who deals with the subject of systemic action of effective business families. During his speech he will explain how today's dilemmas, decisions and experiences affect the common tomorrow! How to communicate in a business family that works together to meet current challenges.

International expert and advisor to family businesses Greg McCann, who will take up the topic of managing a family business in turbulent times. 

Pioneer in family business consulting David Bork, whose inspirational book „The little red book of family business" can be collected by participants as a gift. 

And other experts from Poland and abroad.

The full programme of the event is available here - https://familybusinessweek.pl

In addition to lectures, participants of the event are given the opportunity to undertake individual consultations with selected experts and entrepreneurs. Using modern digital technologies we enable e-meetings, where interested parties will be able to ask questions about the most problematic areas of managing a family business nowadays. We also invite you to the backstage, thanks to which it will be possible to exchange common experiences and opinions with other participants of the event. This is a unique opportunity to establish interesting business relationships in the world of family entrepreneurship and inspiration in facing a new reality.