Recognise spousal support in growing business empires

Covenant of marriage is most often the foundation upon which a family business is built. Photo/FILE  NATION MEDIA GROUP

By Peter Mutua

In Summary

• This role of chief supporter and cheerleader does not belong to women alone; Prince Philip solemnly stands by his wife Queen Elizabeth as she executes royal mandates, Dennis Thatcher quietly stood by Margaret Thatcher as she executed the duties of office while Kenya’s very own the late Eng. Michael Ngilu Mwendwa faithfully supported his wife Charity Ngilu as she roiled in the putrid affair that is Kenyan politics
• While all these spouses have been gratefully acknowledged by their loved ones, their stories are not often told with the same passion as are those of the people who they stand beside.

“Until lions start writing down their own stories, the hunters will always be the heroes,” African proverb.

When stories of the average Kenyan family businesses are told, they often start with a man who takes a bold step away from the actual or prospective employment and goes out to make his fortune.

Tales of his struggles to overcome a hostile business environment combined with acts of ingenuity in dealing with the unique situations that confront growing businesses abound.

When all is said and told, it appears that the man single-handedly conquered the world of commerce; audiences bow at his feet.

What is not told is the story that unfolded in the background; children who had to born and taken to school, clothes that had to be washed combined all with the scrimping and saving to make do with the minimal cash that characterizes new businesses in the start-up phase.

Not much is said about what the star businessman ate when he couldn’t afford to dine in fancy restaurants. More important, many may not hear about the contribution African wives make to the establishment of family businesses by creating stable functional homes, raising children and providing safe environments into which entrepreneurs can retreat after difficult days in the market place.

They are not alone. Helen, wife to Sam Walton the founder of Wal-Mart described the experience of single-handedly bringing up four boisterous children while her husband travelled round the country setting up supermarkets as being “unreal”.

The same was said of Ruth Graham, wife of the famous evangelist Billy Graham who singly dealt with domestic affairs while her husband travelled the word fulfilling his call.

This role of chief supporter and cheerleader does not belong to women alone; Prince Philip solemnly stands by his wife Queen Elizabeth as she executes royal mandates, Dennis Thatcher quietly stood by Margaret Thatcher as she executed the duties of office while Kenya’s very own the late Eng. Michael Ngilu Mwendwa faithfully supported his wife Charity Ngilu as she roiled in the putrid affair that is Kenyan politics.

While all these spouses have been gratefully acknowledged by their loved ones, their stories are not often told with the same passion as are those of the people who they stand beside.

All these men and women stood and some continue to stand in support of their spouses who are more visible than them and who, by virtue of the offices which they occupy, have more temporal power.

Their input to their spouses’ success, while not as obvious to the naked eye, is often a critical contributor to the success of their partners.

 

While the Marriage Bill debated in Parliament on November 11 2013, may not be as draconian as it may have been made to appear in the media, it is important to observe that the contribution of stable marriages to the prosperity of a family business cannot and should not be underestimated.

The covenant of marriage is most often the foundation upon which family business is built and upon which it prospers.

Because it is almost impossible for any entrepreneur to build a business venture in an environment of domestic strife and turmoil, the contribution made by a marriage partner by providing moral, financial and domestic support especially during the difficult period of start-up should not be trifled with.