Success factor family business: What sets Rejlek apart

At Rejlek, we are proud to be a successful family business. Our customers and our team also appreciate this and benefit from it every day. But what is it that actually makes family businesses so attractive and where can this business model be found in the economy as a whole? We shed light on these questions in our latest blog post.

Family businesses: Between advantages and prejudices

Is there any area of life that is as emotionally charged and complex as your own family? Hardly. Together with working life, it is usually at the top of the list of priorities – and takes up a correspondingly large amount of space in our thoughts and actions. No wonder that the idea of combining these two essential areas of life provokes very different reactions: while some fear emotional drama in everyday working life, others appreciate family businesses for their strong corporate culture and warm, trust-based cooperation.

Whether as part of the founding family or as an employee in family-run companies, this type of company is very popular in Austria and Germany. In the private business sector, around 90 per cent of companies are family-run. The number of employees is often in the lower range, but even such large and globally important companies are family-run.

This success is no coincidence: the family business model combines a whole range of positive aspects that not only create a clear competitive advantage, but are also appreciated by employees and customers alike. Let’s take a closer look at what these are.

Advantages on the customer side

If you do business with each other, you have to take a very close look. Rejlek is an ideal partner for our customers not only because of its high product quality, outstanding market knowledge and wealth of innovation, but also because of the qualities that characterise our family business.

This includes a trust-based approach – both within the company and especially when working with customers. You can feel this difference. The fact that the family business does not negotiate with changing managers, but that the founders of the company themselves are available as contact persons, also significantly enhances the collaboration.

From the very beginning, Rejlek has been characterised by a philosophy that we continue to embody and that will continue to guide our actions for generations to come. These long-term values are another factor that benefits our customers, because they can rely on us to remain true to our principles. And not – as is the case in many companies – that decisions are made “from above” to serve obscure interests and suddenly steer the company in a completely different direction.

In short: consistency, trust, long-term prospects and direct cooperation with the founding family are the aspects that our customers and partners particularly appreciate.

Advantages on the company side

And what about the internal benefits? These are also manifold, because it is not for nothing that family businesses have a good reputation as employers. In Austria, for example, around 1.8 million people were employed in family businesses in 2020, according to the Chamber of Commerce – which corresponds to a large proportion of jobs nationwide.

What employees particularly appreciate is the good atmosphere in the workplace, the strong team spirit and the mostly flat hierarchies. The trust-based approach, the open communication culture and the fact that family businesses are generally regarded as very secure employers also play a role internally.

Within the company, this high level of employee satisfaction naturally benefits from low staff turnover and a strong bond with the company – which in turn is reflected in increased motivation and productivity.

Conclusion: Success through cohesion and trust

If you take all the advantages mentioned here together, it is really no wonder that family businesses are held in such high regard by both customers and applicants. The long-term values and deeply rooted philosophy, the open, direct communication and harmonious working atmosphere, as well as the trust that resonates in every internal and external interaction, explain not only the good reputation, but also the economic success of this company structure.

Would you like to find out more about everyday life at Rejlek? Then take a look at our internal LinkedIn channel. If this article has whetted your appetite to work with our family business, write to us directly – we look forward to hearing from you.