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You have your business idea and plan ready and now it is time to start putting together your action plan. You have friends and family who are very interested and want to join on your adventure in the small business world. This brings you to a cross-roads. Can I run a business with family/friends safely and not ruin what we have? How can we make this an appropriate working relationship? What kind of dynamic needs to be in place to keep everyone on the same page.

We have all heard the horror stories and so often can be told to never mix business with family and friends. It can ruin relationships and cause tension outside of the workplace. But there are also stories of the family operated businesses that are a success and have strong healthy relationships in the workplace and outside of the workplace. Here are some great ways to do business with family and friends if you are undecided.

• Personal relationships are built on a trusting foundation as are working relationships. Ensure you have that trust with that person.
• Do not enter into a working relationship on the sole factor that you will feel bad if you say no. Saying no will cause a lot less damage in the long run then having a failed working relationship.
• Everyone is treated equally. From day one ensure everyone is made aware that the workplace has no room  for favouritism. It is a good idea to include these guidelines in your job outline/code of ethics.
• Personal and work lives need to be kept seperate. As soon as you walk through the door your personal relationships/lives are left at the door. Vice versa when leaving work. Work stays at work and not brought home into your personal life.
• It is good practice if you have a few employees to invest in conflict resolution training to help everyone develop appropriate skills in managing conflict. This will create a healthy dynamic in the workplace.

It is important to take into consideration that following some of these guidelines, will not create the perfect working relationship. There are cases where business and personal dont work out and can have a very negative effect. For example a married couple in business together and their personal life takes a turn leading to divorce. In many cases that can negatively affect the business aspect. In some instances personal and business are mixed and these are things we need to take into account when going into business with those that we know.

Throughout our lives we are thrown into situations where there is conflict. Some instances things can be fixed easily, others you may choose to wipe your hands clean, and other cases it takes work. When you are running and working in your small business, your choices are more limited with conflict and a resolution must be reached in each and every scenario. It is bound to happen and conflict cannot be ignored. Whether it is a disagreement between two employees or your code of ethics being challenged, there are specific ways to work through conflict so you can come out the other side with positive change. Some key points to keep in mind when working through conflict are:

• Ensure everyone is in the right mindset for discussion. Reaching a resolution is much more difficult when emotions are talking instead of logic.
• Pinpoint what the problem is and keep the focus on that. We can only work through one conflict at a time.
• Remove blame. Pointing fingers and verballing attacking others will only fuel the conflict. Use “I,” language to address the problem and share feelings.
• Use inclusion to negotiate the best form of action to solve the conflict.  

It is important to remember that every situation is different and you will need to have a box full of different tools to use. When in doubt don’t hesitate to call a professional who specifically deals with conflict resolution in the workplace.  

It is due time to open up the floor and find out what others have to say. In a small business it is so important to open the dialogue to people outside of your company. This gives an opportunity for constructive feedback, criticism, how to meet the needs and wants of your customers and an opportunity for relationship building. So this week let’s open the floor for discussion. Questions, opinions, statements etc. Let’s start the conversation on small business. What would you like to see from us?

Relationships are incredibly important in our personal lives as well as our working lives. To feel comfortable and confident in the workplace there needs to be a foundation created to allow for relationship growth. As small business owners we need to ensure that we are creating an atmosphere that allows for this development. It is very satisfying when you see your employees building relationships with one another, so they can work together in confidence and know there are others there to help.

How do we as owners and managers create this kind of atmosphere in our workplace? What can we be initiating in the workplace to allow for boosts in moral that is going to attract your employees in a participating way? We know that in order to engage and get people’s attention we must use key points of interest. With these interests we can then create team building activities within our business. According to https://www.teambonding.com/reasons-for-team-building/ here are six beneficial reasons to include team building within your business.

•         Networking, socializing, and getting to know each other better.
•         Teamwork and boosting team performance.
•         Competition and bragging rights.
•         Celebration, team spirit, fun, and motivation.
•         Collaboration and the fostering of innovation and creativity.
•         Communication and working better together.

Delegation. What a wonderful concept yet so hard to obtain with confidence. How many of us, and I can vouch for myself, constantly think it’s just easier for you to complete tasks yourself? Instead of asking and requesting our staff or business partners to do certain jobs, the thought jumps through your brain that maybe you should just complete it, so you know it is done on time and done properly. We have all either had those thoughts or acted upon them. But did you know there are many negative consequences that arise from an inability to properly delegate.

First of all, we are setting ourselves up for failure. We can’t do it all because we aren’t superhuman. When you decide against delegating tasks you are adding to your already large workload which reflects on our previous blog on balance. When we put to many things on our plate, your business is going to suffer because you aren’t able to give 100 percent to absolutely everything. In turn you may end up feeling resentful within your business because of choices you have made.

Secondly, how are we going to give our staff and business partners the feeling that they can trust us and our decisions without giving them the opportunities they need to grow. Without delegation to the proper people, we are creating a negative environment where your co workers feel as though you don’t have trust in them and are keeping them stagnant. Instead look at their strengths and what they need to improve on and delegate from there. You hired them on a basis of trust, so we need to give them that. Ensure you are delegating the proper tasks to the proper people. We want to set up for success, not failure.

Lastly, it gives the opportunity for growth. Not only will you be strengthening the skills of your employees, but you are leaving room to grow your business as well. There will be more time to create different projects or enhance what you already have within your business.

As a business owner when you properly delegate the right tasks to the right people, the outcomes will normally be positive. You will continue to be able to give 100 percent to the tasks you have, your business will thrive, and your employees will grow immensely. When your employees feel that trust you have in them, their performance will increase, and this also is going to open up a huge communication area. “If you want to do a few small things right, do them yourself. If you want to do great things and make an impact, learn to delegate.” (John C. Maxwell).