Sri Sabari Engimech Private Limited (SSEPL), a firm founded in 2001, provided contract-based staff for the operations and maintenance (O&M) of plant and machinery (P&M), mainly in the petrochemical sector. The founder reaped profits from the first month onward. In 2008, his son took over SSEPL as director of operations and expanded the company’s services and clientele to increase profits. In 2019, the company encountered loss for the first time because of, among other reasons, malpractice by its former CEO, the ex-CEO starting his own O&M outfit and taking with him some of SSEPL’s employees, the entry of new players into the market, and the 2019 novel coronavirus pandemic. However, SSEPL managed to bounce back with low profit margins the following year, leading the director of operations to contemplate the way forward for the company.

In 2018, the group president of Sapna Book House, operating in two South India states, was determined to take the family business to the next growth level. However, he was concerned about the threats and challenges posed by a rapidly changing competitive environment. As a third generation entrepreneur, he had executed some of the initiatives planned by his father and uncles, and had upgraded the technology to reach existing and new technology-savvy customers. His future plan was to increase the number of stores fivefold by 2020 and make the company a global brand. He believed that adding professional employees, rather than only family members, to the management team of the business was the only way to ensure the massive expansion and growth that would enable the top management family members to focus on strategic decisions and business resources, while allowing professionals to carry out routine tasks. Another issue of concern was how to raise funds from external sources to support his plan for growth, which most family members opposed.

In 2018, the group president of Sapna Book House, operating in two South India states, was determined to take the family business to the next growth level. However, he was concerned about the threats and challenges posed by a rapidly changing competitive environment. As a third generation entrepreneur, he had executed some of the initiatives planned by his father and uncles, and had upgraded the technology to reach existing and new technology-savvy customers. His future plan was to increase the number of stores fivefold by 2020 and make the company a global brand. He believed that adding professional employees, rather than only family members, to the management team of the business was the only way to ensure the massive expansion and growth that would enable the top management family members to focus on strategic decisions and business resources, while allowing professionals to carry out routine tasks. Another issue of concern was how to raise funds from external sources to support his plan for growth, which most family members opposed.