As a sector, family firms such as Fresh Start Waste really are the engine room of the UK economy with around 5 million family firms in the UK today providing more than 13 million jobs and accounting for around 25% of GDP.
Clearly, the family business sector is a force to be reckoned with and one that deserves to be recognised. We are proud to be a family business and to have been in operation since 2006.
Organised annually by Family Business United, the award-winning magazine and resource centre for family firms, the event is now in its eighth year and continues to grow year on year. As Paul Andrews, founder of Family Business United explains, “This is a real day to celebrate the family business sector, businesses at the very heart of the nation and across all sectors of the economy too. Every part of life on a daily business is supported by family firms from the food and drink we consume, to the places we visit, the hotels we stay in, the homes we live in and the products that we use such as cars, hospitals and gyms. This diverse sector deserves to be recognised and National Family Business Day is a great way to put the sector on the map.”
Paul Andrews, founder of Family Business United explains “The past couple of years has been far from easy but family firms across the UK have shown their strength and resilience, adapting to the changing circumstances in which they found new ways of working. Many have developed new routes to markets, new strategies and continued to invest in their businesses, be it through technology, people or processes. Family firms have responded well and demonstrated their entrepreneurial spirit and desire and passion to succeed.”
As Paul continues: “Family firms have a story to tell, a real narrative borne out of families working in business together, creating a legacy that will hopefully endure for generations. It is this that makes family businesses special along with the underlying values such as passion, drive, integrity and desire to do the right thing time and time again. It may not have been the easiest of years but a day focusing on the family business sector will provide a great opportunity to show our support for the sector.”