Making a Fortune: Learning from the Asian Phenomenon
By Spinder Dhaliwal

Plots. Characters. Heroes. Substance.

This is a good book.

And an important one.

Dr Spinder Dhaliwal

"Nobody understands better what makes British Asian entrepreneurs tick. Spinder provides a fascinating insight into business leaders and the inspirational stories behind their success."
Amar Singh, Evening Standard

Drawing on her own experiences and the stories of others, in this book Spinder Dhaliwal offers both unique and valuable insights in this community of entrepreneurs. The book is a must for not only practicing and would be entrepreneurs but also for anyone involved in entrepreneurships from advisors through to academics.
Hamant Verma, Editor Eastern Eye

"This is an important book that is being published at just the right time. With immigration a hot topic of conversation and ever-present in political and media circles, this book lays out the contribution of first, second and third generation Asians to the UK in terms of wealth creation, employment and host of other issues. It tells some good stories and has a powerful message for everyone who reads it."
Eric Leenders
Executive Director
British Bankers Association (BBA)

"a refreshing and intelligent insight into Asian entrepreneurship in the 21st century"
Sathnam Sanghera, The Times

“The personal stories behind some of the UK's most successful Asian businessmen make for fascinating reading. I'm so glad that my good friend and hotel business partner, Surinder Arora, takes his rightful place among them.”
Sir Cliff Richard

While the growth of Asian businesses has been lauded and applauded, little attention has been paid to those ‘powers behind the throne’ – Asian women. And, at the same time as male entrepreneurs have been eulogised by the popular press keen to promote free enterprise heroes, scant attention has been paid to Asian women who have become entrepreneurs in their own right.

‘Silent Contributors – Asian Female Entrepreneurs and women in business’ seeks to redress the balance by focusing on the contribution of Asian women to both entrepreneurship and the management of family businesses.

Dr. Spinder Dhaliwal looks at the lives of two main groups, ‘independent’ women, entrepreneurs in their own right who have initiated and run their own businesses; and ‘hidden’ women, wholly involved in the day to day running of the family businesses while their husbands are the visible ‘head’. Issues explored include their background, influences, the factors that facilitated or inhibited their decision and choice of work, their experiences and the particular issues that confront them as Asian women in business. During interviews with the women working in family enterprises, their role and contribution to the management of the business was explored. Issues covered include their ‘official’ and ‘unoffial’ position within the firm; the balance between domestic and business responsibilities and the influences, if any, of cultural factors in the nature of their presence within the enterprise.

In addition to the ‘independent’ and ‘hidden’ women, a group of very successful women including Perween Warsi of S&A Foods, Meena Pathak of Patak’s, Bushra Ahmed of The Legendary Joe Bloggs Company and Zeenat Harnal of Noon Products plc are also profiled. These women, who have ownership and participate in the running of the larger businesses which are household names, represent a tiny fraction of the Asian women in business.

In her foreword to the book, Anita Pollock, then MEP says, “In Britain we have noticed, but not appreciated, the enormous number of Asian women in business. Working long hours, coping with families and enjoying little social life, these women have contributed immeasurably to this country and their own family businesses.
“Silent Contributors’ works to bring this wonderful variety of talented and industrious women into the light, so that their efforts can be better understood and applauded. For each of the case histories in this book, there must be hundreds more. It whets the appetite…”

To order a copy, please send an email to info@makingafortune.co.uk.