Hiring Family Members for Your Small Business

When you decide to start your own business, chances are you will not have the money to go out and hire employees. However, what do you do when you need some help but don’t have the money. Well, that is where family comes in. Family can be a huge help to your business in the early years of its formation but there are some things you need to keep in mind.

First of all, when you decide to hire a family member, even if they are not being paid, do they have the right attitude and personality for the position. You don’t want to force your kids to take part in the business if they are just going to hate it because that can cost you business, time and money in the end. You want to hire your family members if they are easy going, can accept challenges and don’t worry too much about stress. On that same note, they need to have a can-do attitude and be ready to help make the company a success. If they understand that their hard work makes the company successful, and by extension the family more successful, then they are the right people to be working at your business.

If you are worried about hiring family, then you can give them a trial in the company. Let them work in the company for a month and see how they do. If they don’t do well, then you may want to consider not having them in the company anymore. One person with a bad attitude can cause big problems for your company, even if it is someone you love.

When you hire family, especially siblings, it is very important that you ensure they know you are the boss. If you hire your children, this won’t be a problem, but hiring older brothers or sisters can cause problems with authority, especially if your siblings have always been the ones in charge. Make sure from the very beginning they know that you are the boss and they are the employee. On that same note, it does not mean you are just going to boss them around. Everyone needs to be treated well and with respect and you have to do the same with your family, more so than with other employees.

Another thing to consider is do your family members have the skill set to make the company successful? If you open up a mechanics shop, does your 15-year-old son have the skills to change a transmission? No? Then you may not want to get him doing that if he is not ready.

Hiring family can be difficult, and sometimes it can be hard to let family go if they are not working out, especially if you live with them, but that does not mean you shouldn’t hire family. Hiring family can save you money and it means the entire family has a vested interest in the success of the company.
First Published: Feb 2, 2011 EntrepreneurJourney.com

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