Reflections of an SME Family Business (PEILI)

Family businesses are a particularly common form of ownership in Päijät-Häme: "Family entrepreneurship covers all industries and company size categories in our area, being more common than elsewhere in Finland" (P-H liitto 2021). The role of family businesses is important, as 70 per cent of employer businesses in Finland are family businesses. Family businesses employ approximately 40 per cent of the company sector's personnel and create 30 per cent of the business sector's processing value. 75 per cent of small businesses are family businesses, 38 per cent of medium-sized ones and 20 per cent of large ones." (TEM 2021.)

However, for small and medium-sized family businesses, which employ the population of the region and grow their operations moderately, there have not been many support measures aimed at improving growth and competitiveness - for example, there have been almost no projects for this target group. The Reflections of an SME Family Business (PEILI) project idea was born from the wish of micro, small and medium-sized family businesses in Päijät-Häme, and it has been developed together with them and regional and thematic stakeholders.

The goal of the "Reflections of an SME Family Business (PEILI)" project is to strengthen the competitiveness and resource-wise growth of micro and SME family businesses in Päijät-Häme by developing their business skills and thus their development, growth and internationalization capabilities by utilizing a peer network and the support of RDI efforts. The local knowledge-sharing network (Peilausryhmät) enables quick and practice-driven development. At the same time, the operating environment of the region's SMEs and the region's attractiveness and retention power are strengthened. The activities are carried out in different parts of Päijät-Häme so that participation would be as easy as possible for companies.