When Work Turns Into Friendship
How Fractional Management Built Systems — and Connection — at Eco Tiny House
Some projects change the way you see business. Others change the way you see people. This one did both.
I first met Botond Szakács, founder of Eco Tiny House, at a two-day workshop in the heart of Transylvania — in a small, Hungarian-speaking community known for its deep connection to wood, nature, and tradition.
It’s a relatively closed community, proud of its heritage and rooted in its craft. But Botond’s warmth and curiosity stood out immediately. Within hours, we were already discussing ways to collaborate.
A Company Built on Craft and Courage
Eco Tiny House is one of those rare companies that combine craftsmanship with vision. With over 100 employees, they design and build stunning tiny houses — architectural gems - made in Transylvania and delivered across Denmark, the Netherlands, and Germany.
But behind every beautiful product lies a system — and that system was showing the strain of rapid growth. They didn’t need consultants. They didn’t need a Growth Hacking sprint.
They needed structure — disciplined process improvement and financial clarity. That’s where Béla stepped in.
The Assignment: Building Systems That Last
For a year, Béla became Eco Tiny House’s Fractional Manager for Production and Finance.
Two days a week, every week, he was there — leaving home on Sunday night, returning Tuesday night. He lived and breathed the company: walking the production floor, listening, simplifying, and quietly building systems that could support growth.
He implemented an ERP system, established financial processes and reporting, and created clear purchasing and production flows.
He helped set up a formal Advisory Board, even serving on it for years after the Fractional Management role ended.
He wasn’t there to consult — he was there to do the work and manage the team.
From Partnership to Friendship
What began as a professional collaboration quickly became something more. We traveled often — sometimes with the kids. Our children played together, weekends turned into shared meals, and professional respect grew into friendship.
At first, it was strange. We both came from multinational and international consulting backgrounds, where boundaries are strict and relationships remain formal. But this was different. They cared. Genuinely. And that care — their humanity, their warmth — taught us something profound about family businesses.
They reminded us that family companies are not just economic systems. They are emotional ecosystems — guided by loyalty, love, and long memories.
The Turning Point: Why Family Business Is Different
The realization that something is very different in a family business changed everything for us.
This project — one of our first in Romania after returning from Canada — made us question everything we thought we knew about management.
We kept asking ourselves:
Why is this different? How is this different?
To find answers, we went to Boston to study at the Family Firm Institute, to understand the deeper structure of family enterprises — how to navigate emotion, succession, legacy, and governance.
Eco Tiny House was the project that sent us down that path.
Lessons from the Heart of Transylvania
Family businesses are not linear. They evolve, shift, and grow through relationships as much as through systems.
This experience taught us that plans don’t always follow order, and progress doesn’t always follow process — but when trust is there, everything moves forward.
The results?
ERP system implemented and working
Financial and operational transparency
Production and purchasing aligned
A board established and active
A friendship that still lasts today
We still talk, visit, and celebrate every new success — together. Because when you work with a family business that opens its doors and heart to you, it’s not just about KPIs and dashboards anymore. It’s about connection, respect, and shared purpose.
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