WHY NOT?

Boniswa Holland

“You guys must fight so often!”

“You guys must fight so often!” is usually what I am told when I tell people that my business partner is not only by business partner but my best friend, room mate, wing women, and in general the person I spend all my time with.  And my answer to them is very simple  “No not at all”

We know each other’s strengths and weaknesses

You see I have a 20-year friendship with my business partner and we know absolutely everything about each other, the good, the bad and the ugly.  This includes how to handle each other in every situation.  This is extremely helpful in a business environment, as we know each other’s strengths and weaknesses making it easy to know where we both stand in the company.  

She is the business mind and I am the creative.  She is the money guru and I am the bookings guru.  I could go on forever.

Why does it work then? 

This is not to say we do not disagree in our business decisions but that’s the best part.  We are able to disagree, come to a solution and out of respect for each other and our relationship understand that disagreeing is part of the process to making our company better and stronger.  We take our minute after disagreeing and then move on leaving our business relationship at the office when we wrap up the day.

So why do people tend to shy away from a family/friend owned company? 

In a time where jobs are minimal, the economy is down and general morale is low why not build something that your family and friends can not only benefit from but be apart of. The saying goes never go into business with friends or family and I am here to ask why not?

What’s important to note, is that if you are not family but individuals where there are high levels of trust, challenging conversations can be robust and healthy even though uncomfortable. When you trust that everyone is aligned with the companies vision, and working for the good of the company, courageous conversations don’t become personal as you trust that the intention is to drive the vision and for the well-being of the company.