The Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Stated the Need for Priority Support of Family-Centered Businesses

“Not only the state and large companies can contribute to promoting the principle of family-centeredness, but also small and medium-sized businesses. SMEs are oriented toward local consumers—they provide the population with everyday goods and services. Such enterprises can adapt their marketing policies to stimulate ‘family consumption,’ for example, by introducing special offers or discount systems for purchases made by the whole family,” she said.

According to Shishkina, the principle of family-centeredness has been designated by the President of the country as one of the priorities. Combined with government support, this can contribute to strengthening Russian families and increasing the birth rate, she noted.

“It is worth noting that within the structure of the national projects budget, the largest allocation has been made specifically for the ‘Family’ national project,” emphasized the representative of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Family businesses have particular potential in this work, since family values are part of their very development model. Such enterprises are focused on long-term operations, building a stable customer base, and passing the business on to future generations.

“For such companies, family values are not just words—they form the foundation of the very existence of the business. Family enterprises are aimed at long-term development and plan to pass their business on to future generations, so it is especially important for them to earn the loyalty not of an individual customer, but of the entire family, so that people return again and again for their goods and services,” Shishkina said.

She believes that the state can strengthen this trend by giving priority support measures to family companies that consistently implement the principle of family-centeredness. A legal instrument for this already exists in 26 regions of Russia, where the concept of a “family enterprise” has been introduced into the legal framework.

“In order to unlock the potential of family companies across the country, it is necessary to закрепить this concept at the level of federal legislation. Only a comprehensive approach will help us build a future where the happiness of a large family is complemented by convenience, benefits, and comfort, and where the effectiveness of the state’s efforts to improve the country’s demographics will increase many times over,” Shishkina concluded.