The concept of a family-owned business is ideal. This is mainly attributed to the fact that family members have a common ground to work from and they are likely to give a lot more than is asked of them to achieve the targets and goals of the business. New research suggests that Britain’s family-owned small businesses are among the fastest growing of all enterprises in the country, contributing billions of pounds a year to the UK economy. LINIAN is a family run business that was established in 2006 by Jean and Wes Arbuckle. The company is named after their two children, Lynne and Ian, who joined the business in 2015. Jean is the driving force behind the family approach that the business uses and encourages Lynne and Ian to respect and adopt this approach for what they want the business to achieve. Operations Director at LINIAN, Jean Arbuckle said: ‘At LINIAN, we wholeheartedly believe in our family ethos and strive to make every member of staff a part of the LINIAN family. Staff are actively encouraged to bring their ideas to the table and are incentivized when these ideas are put into motion. Lynne and Ian are on the same page as a management team. They have to juggle their own family life with the busy schedule of running a business. When it comes to making decisions, it’s about who can create the best argument in the interest of the company and not just a case of who can shout the loudest’. There are lots of successful family businesses operating in the world from small businesses to major companies. Companies like Ford, Lego, Mars and Arnold Clark have all been around for years and operate with a strong family ethos behind them. Of course, it can be challenging working with family at times so it’s important that you remember to maintain a good balance between business and family life. It’s also imperative to outline the job roles to keep everyone focused on the job that they need to do to grow the business. Sales and Export Director, Lynne Jhangeer at LINIAN said ‘Working in a family business or any type of organisation has its challenges when it comes to making decisions and managing the team. However, at LINIAN we have complete respect for one another as family members, individuals and as professionals in our respective fields. We have a unique dynamic in our business that works well and being family gives us the all-important flexibility that we need to make decisions quickly and effectively without worrying about how we communicate with one other. Our wider team are also encouraged to embrace this entrepreneurial, family business spirit and we collaborate openly and frequently to drive the business forward’. LINIAN is continuing to grow, with more stockists coming on board every day. Innovative, young, fresh, ambitious and adaptable are quickly becoming the new LINIAN values; these, combined with their traditional core values give LINIAN a real platform for success. LINIAN truly live by their motto: ‘Family is at the heart of our business and business is ingrained in the heart of our family through generations’.