02/ 11/ 2008
by Harvey King
Many MyBusiness readers work in family businesses. That means you work with parents, siblings, spouses, children, cousins, uncles, nieces, nephews and other assorted relatives. And for that, I salute you.
You see, I live with teenagers, and the notion that someone can work with a sibling, child or parent--and accomplish something productive--is a concept beyond my grasp. Don't get me wrong. I love my children and am amazed by how incredibly smart, creative and industrious they are. I have no doubt they'll succeed in whatever they set out to do. But work with each other? Or with me? Like I said, I salute you.
In a small business, collaboration and consensus-building are keys to success. I think about this every time I hear one of my children complain about the other one breathing his or her air. I can't imagine them engaged in a business meeting when their standard dialogue sounds something like this:
"Oh, yeah?"
"Yeah!"
"Says who?"
"Says me!"
I think of potential business meetings with one of them mumbling, "That's so lame," every time I say something. Of course, my retort will be, "Oh, yeah?"
I'm guessing that many teenagers actually grow up and turn into real people.
I'm guessing this because I personally know many people who happily and very successfully work with relatives. I know first cousins who own a business together that was started a century ago by their great-grandfather. I know people who have incredibly successful companies they run with brothers and sisters. I know dozens of husbands and wives who run businesses together. Heck, I even know at least two divorced couples who continue to run successful businesses together.
With that evidence, I'm guessing--in theory, at least--that being a teenager is a curable condition. For the sake of you who would like to hang up a shingle one day that says, "& Son" or "& Daughter," I sure hope so.
As for me, I'm still not fully convinced.
