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HIRING MY RELATIVES

watergalwatergal subscriber Posts: 10 Bronze Level Member
Should I hire my relatives or tell them to start their own business?
My upstart business is about 2 years in the making (first in my head
and now I can finally see it start to come together.  I hope to be
up and running  in less than 2 months.  I think other people
are starting to realize that I may have  hit on something innovate
and filling a need in a market that has no competition yet
in my area. Which will probably be successful in a matter of time (I hope anyway  Since yesterday I have had 3 family members come to me
to tell me of their interest in my baby upstart business.  I am confused to say the
least. They are qualified, that`s not the problem.  I just don`t know if it is good business sense to hire your family?.    Any suggestions for me ?
Don`t want to affend any family but down the road - don`t want to make them
enemies either if something goes wrong !!!
Appreciate your comments guys. THANKS !!!
jo

Comments

  • watergalwatergal subscriber Posts: 10 Bronze Level Member
    Thanks very much, I feel the same!
  • iouone2iouone2 subscriber Posts: 14
    I have been on the loosing end of this equation. To make the
    story short, the business was started by my grandparents and
    has provided everyone in the family a wonderful success story.
    Soon the time came, I thought it would be a good time to ask
    my father to enter the business. I knew there was a recent
    opening. I thought the position was perfectly placed, being it
    was on the bottom. Literally, I was a janitor.

    Looking back, I think the journey gave hope that my father and I
    would be closer. He and I have always been on good terms,
    but we don`t have the same loves. Also, I did see long-term
    independence to be gained. What an opportunity. I figured if I
    was willing to start at the bottom, eventually family member
    would realize my commitment.

    Several years later, do to exterior family issues, I was forced to
    resign. No matter who supported whom in the family, what was
    done was done. My father and I didn`t talk for about 2 years or
    so. I am glad we are talking again. If I had it to do over, I know
    the result would be the same. We both did our best in the
    situation as presented.

    I vote NO on hiring family. If it works out, it`s great. But if it
    doesn`t, there is too much to loose.
  • watergalwatergal subscriber Posts: 10 Bronze Level Member
    Thanks Vincent for your thoughts. I`ve been mulling it over all day driving myself
    nuts, but I feel peaceful now with my decision. I think its a lousy
    idea myself and I think the best thing for them would be to do what I
    did. It was and still is a lot of work and determination but I always
    felt it would be worth it someday or I wouldn`t have gone down this
    road. Maybe they should think about
    starting their own business like I did. If it didn`t work out (and
    there is a big chance in that) then we may never talk again and what`s
    worse than that?

  • watergalwatergal subscriber Posts: 10 Bronze Level Member
    Thanks Engraver for your take on this.  You really hit it on the head, so true.
    I was thinking the same thing, I have been working on this business for
    close to 2 years from the time I  first thought about the
    possibility to now  with almost all of the infrastructure
    completed. No one was negative about it but no one offered any help
    either.
  • watergalwatergal subscriber Posts: 10 Bronze Level Member
    Engraver,
    I dont blame you for feeling this way, it is of course normal and appropriate to
    feel this way.  I guess some people either dont remember what happened in the
    past or they prefer "not to remember".
  • patchpatch subscriber Posts: 0
    To me, hiring a family member is like marrying someone who works in the same office!!! DISASTER in the making.
    Usually, when I have experienced exceptionally bad service from a company I later find out that the person I dealt with was the boss`s son-in-law. They seem to come into the business thinking life is going to give them an easy ride. Does the boss then fire him and cause a family rift or let him stay on and wreck the business?
    A son or daughter coming into an established business is one thing, other relatives present a different dynamic. Certainly if someone is launching a new business, they are heading for disaster if they start hiring family.
     
  • watergalwatergal subscriber Posts: 10 Bronze Level Member
    Patch - you are so right and funny too
    tks
  • watergalwatergal subscriber Posts: 10 Bronze Level Member
    Thanks Janet,
    I totally agree with you!
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