resolution

Family businesses often grow in an unstructured way, leading to a culture of informality. As a result, basic employment law documents can get overlooked and family members are not issued with employment contracts or subject to formal policies. This can leave the business exposed when issues arise as neither the business nor the family member have a ‘rule book’ to follow.

Children of wealth must overcome five key challenges to generate a sense of life purpose and a positive and facilitative emotional connection to their money.

Each challenge describes an important aspect of the psychological relationship to the saving, spending, and sharing of wealth. To develop a positive wealth identity, children must resolve conflicts and overcome their vulnerabilities in each area.

Challenge 1: Financial awareness

Tests faced by wealthy family businesses in the Gulf are usually related to a stock market crash, loss of an investment or, at worst, the sudden death of the family patriarch. However, the Covid-19 pandemic has brought about a new and unprecedented challenge.

When the outbreak was announced the immediate concern for wealthy families, or private clients as we refer to, was the health and safety of the family patriarch since they were now of an advanced age which placed them in the vulnerable and high-risk category.

What is conflict? According to just one of many definitions, it is "an expressed struggle between at least two interdependent parties who perceive incompatible goals, scarce resources and interference from others in achieving their goals," writes Walid Chiniara.