A NEW WAY OF DOING BUSINESS

A FURNITURE workshop in Reading is an unusual place for a business revolution to take place.

But amid the whirring machinery and the constant spray of sawdust, Philip Koomen is putting Baha'i business ethics into practice, with outstanding success.

Philip became a Baha'i in 1972. He left his sociology studies to learn furniture restoration, and set up his own company, Philip Koomen Furniture, specialising in furniture design. He says Baha'u'llah's teachings on economics inspired him to start a business to see how these ideas might work in practice.

"Baha'u'llah, the founder of the Baha'i Faith, acknowledged that some people possess a business acumen which makes them natural leaders in the marketplace, but he also encouraged business owners to set up profit-sharing programs for their workers, and to train staff to fulfil their potential," says Philip.

"He also taught that work of all kinds is a spiritual activity, because it's a form of service to others, and it should be performed with that in mind - and these ideas really impressed me."

Today Philip and his small team of talented artisans produce some of the finest handmade furniture in Britain, using timber from carefully managed forests. The handcrafted tables, chairs and cabinets take hundreds of hours to painstakingly carve, inlay and polish. A percentage of the company's profits are shared with the staff, who also receive extensive training in the craft of fine furniture-making.

"To me, the values that come under the concept of craftsmanship are something we're deeply in need of as a society. When we make things that are beautiful as well as useful, that encourages us to do our best and to bring out the best in ourselves," Philip explains.

Baha'u'llah also encouraged Baha'is to consult about problems in the workplace. By sharing ideas across ordinary barriers of class or wealth, better solutions can emerge, which are readily implemented because all parties to a decision are in agreement.

Philip Koomen consults regularly with his staff about the strength of the business, and about its future. And he says it's more than simply putting the latest management-speak into practice.

"We frequently take students on for work experience, and we include them in the consultation process. They get the benefit of relating what they're learning at college with the context of the wider world. And for us, it's refreshing for us to have someone who's maybe lacking in relevant experience but who looks at things with a fresh eye."