Usually, a family member opens a business and then, it becomes a family business. The thing about family business is that the actions of the family members can either help the business grow or make it die.
When someone opens a business newly, that person has to take a firm decision to draw a line between family and business. For example, when a lady opens a business where she sells edible goods, sometimes her family members will want to collect goods without paying completely or at all, because of the familiarity, or they give one excuse or another. They may say things like
"I'll pay you later" or "after all she's family" or even "this is for what you owed me some time ago".
Sometimes the person who owns a business might be complicit. Taking money or goods from the business for family use without properly replacing what was taken. In these situations, there is only one way such a business is headed, and that is doom. That business will crash and burn in no time. The funny thing is, those family members sometimes, will stand and watch it crash.
This is why, from the start, a clear line must be drawn. Anyone who patronizes the business must pay, whether they are family or not. So, family status should not give anyone special privileges, no matter how close or special the relationship between the business owner and the family member is. That's how the business survives.
Family has a crucial role to play in such a business. Family members can help advertise the business for free. Going back to my example of a lady who opens a business for selling edibles. If she has 7 family members, and each of those family members talks to 5 of their very good friends to patronize and advertise the business, the word will just keep spreading. That's the snowballing effect of family. Before you know it, the combined effort of everyone in the family would advertise the business to hundreds or thousands of people.
So, when relations patronize and advertise the business of their family member, it's a form of encouragement and support, and in return, that family member can be of help in the future, because of the support they received.
My sister sells bead necklaces and bangles. I've seen first hand the effort she puts into making one of those things. She spends so much time trying to complete them. Sometimes she's up for the majority of the night.
It would be cruel of any of us in the family to patronize her without paying fully after seeing all the effort she has put in. Sometimes, I buy bead necklaces from her to gift my female friends who would love them, and I usually over pay, just to show my support.
I can also say comfortably, that other family members do support her immensely. I have brought her a lot of clients, and so have my other siblings. That's the beauty of family in business. One doesn't have to carry the business alone, family is there to help out.
This post is an entry to the April inleo prompt Day 7 which is about "Empowering actions and family business. To learn more about this initiative, check it out here
The images used are mine
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