Yeah, unfortunately, that quality is subjective and varies. Inevitably some difficult situations, feelings can still get in the way. I just prefer to steer clear of that so I can be comfortable with them outside of work.

Difficult situations are unavoidable. Being irrational and emotional is not. Getting involved with people that can't separate business from emotion or can't help from being irrational douchebags is never a good idea. Family or not.

Well, I would not classify my sister as a douche bag exactly but she's not exactly good at critical thinking and makes poor decisions. How do you tell a person that? Like I said, I'd rather avoid having the problem from the get-go.

I've another who wants to start a business with me, not immediate family, but who is aware I have plans for one. His reason, so he can take days off to play golf. He takes a lot of time off from work lying by calling in sick. That's all a red flag to me about his work ethic. I will likely end up doing more work. That's another no go for me. He's lazy.

Oh **** yeah. Run. As fast as your can.

But making a blanket statement that, "...it creates problems and rifts." It doesn't unless they are emotional and/or irrational.

There is no way in hell I'd start a business with my sister because she is a douchebag. But that's not to say that family business tears people apart.

I said it creates rifts, at first, because how to you evaluate their performance such as my sister's who means well but based on what I said would not be a suitable choice. They don't all have to be irrational. As in the case of BCS. Chuck was avoiding having to evaluate Jimmy for a position. He just goofed in how he went about it. Everyone experiences emotion, some just suppress it, so I won't say emotional.

So as a general statement, I think it's still true and I think it's more that some are exceptions. JMO. I used to work in a family owned business and the two brothers fought over money all the time. Naturally with the door shut but you could hear the yelling. At another one, the mother didn't have a key position. At another one, where my ex worked, everyone knew no one could ever reach the top levels as it would go to the owner's sons. So there are other issues that don't involved irrationality or emotion. I prefer to steer away from them but I am okay with them as clients. One I have now, is I hear salesmen complaining about the unfairness as it is family owned. Family gets preferences others don't. It just doesn't affect me as an independent contractor.

Sure, but that an immense 'as long as.'

Going into business versus going into business with family can be the difference between roasting marshmallows over a campfire and roasting marshmallows in the afterburners of an F-14 Tomcat.

Everyone in your family has a lifelong close emotional relationship with your business partner, and if dissolution is eventually the only viable solution, disruption of the entire family structure is on the table as well.

Because they're irrational. The rational thing to do is, gross revenue is X profit margin is Y, overhead is Z. The remainder of Y-Z is what we have to discretion to spend, retain, or take out of the business. One of the two is dissenting from rational behavior.

And the real answer is you have to line out a strategy and the associated metrics ahead of time so douchebags aren't always whaling about mistreatment. If it's all laid out ahead of time, you just have to work within the system. The less structure there is the more trust, communication, and ability to come to an agreement is required.

And I people are dragging family issues to work, they're being emotional vaginas. If there are issues because It's family they were going to be there regardless, so it isn't the business that caused it.

Business relations with family shouldn't be any different than business with any other person. If everybody in the relationship acts like a professional, there are no problems. Drag estrogen or testosterone driven irrationality or General ****tardery to work, there's going to be problems. Family or not. It's just that family problems follow you home.

tl;dr: The family problems you bring up are the fault of people being stupid. Not because they are in business and family members.

If all parties involved can't treat business dealings with family like they treat business dealings with any other party, the business arrangement should not be created.

Own a time machine, do ya?

Agreed. Sounds like it's worked for you. BTW my sister was never emotional or irrational, I just don't feel comfortable having to evaluate her performance and would rather steer away from that kind of activity. I just never hired her again for a project. Thankfully, she got a job somewhere and was happy.

:spock:

Why would you need one? Either don't get involved or gtfo as soon as you realize it can't be worked.

That's the right thing to do but family and business don't necessarily create problems.

Perhaps, but I'd like to see some statistics on it.

What statistics do you want to see?

80% of people in the world are gotards and are not capable of long term interpersonal relationships regardless of family affiliation and 20% of people in the world are rational humans that can separate emotion from business regardless of family affiliation?

I would never business partner with my wife. She is not a rational human being.


I have partnered with my brother. He is a rational human being.