{"id":243949,"date":"2018-01-11T08:06:12","date_gmt":"2018-01-11T08:06:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gwynt.eu\/family-businesses-batten-down-the-hatches\/"},"modified":"2024-07-01T07:54:43","modified_gmt":"2024-07-01T07:54:43","slug":"family-businesses-batten-down-the-hatches","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gwynt.eu\/en\/family-businesses-batten-down-the-hatches\/","title":{"rendered":"Family businesses batten down the hatches!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Family businesses are often more innovative than “ordinary” businesses. This is a recurring conclusion in several studies, such as those conducted by ABN AMRO and ING. But being innovative is one thing; the trick is to stay innovative. How do you do that?<\/em><\/p>\n

We believe that innovation becomes truly successful only when talents in all levels of the organization are challenged. That they jointly develop new products, processes or even business models. Interconnectedness can be an important force in this regard. At the source of that connectedness in a family business are important core values such as “shared values” and “like-mindedness.<\/p>\n

The shutters open<\/h4>\n

It is also important to open the shutters! Employees must learn to cooperate with each other (internally), but above all look for cooperation outside the company walls (externally). By nature, joint innovation is usually not an obvious strength of family businesses. Still, we think it is necessary, especially at a time when (technological) developments are
\nsucceed each other with exponential speed.<\/p>\n

Decisive innovation<\/h4>\n

Collaborative innovation has many faces. Consider collaboration with customers, suppliers, universities, colleges or even competitive colleagues, for example. Why? As a collective, you think out-of-the-box more easily and generate more (and often better) ideas. This encourages knowledge exchange and innovative thinking. In short: collectivity and collaboration within and outside one’s own organization leads to more decisive innovation.<\/p>\n

An example<\/h4>\n

Koninklijke Smilde in Heereveen is a family business that dared to open the shutters. In terms of innovation, the company decided to activate several external tracks. It did so in part through:<\/p>\n