The sayings ‘don’t mix business with pleasure or relatives’ is one advice you hear people give from time to time.
Last week, a friend expressed her frustration when her husband said she couldn’t take some products from the family’s business without paying. In his words according to her, he said ‘If you have to take anything from the warehouse, make sure you pay if not forget about it.’
She went on to complain that the particular product she wanted to take was for the benefit of the family. We then advised her that truly business and pleasure or relatives do not mix. When we run our business on emotions and family sentiments, the business is bound to suffer.
There have also been insinuations that business can never thrive when done with spouses, relatives or even in-laws, how true is this? Womanhood tends to find out.
Cynthia Kalu, 32-year-old lawyer, says, “The day we decide to start doing business with spouses, relatives or even in laws then we are doomed. I don’t believe in involving family members or anyone for that matter in business. Business is business and should remain so. I understand the point of view the husband is taking his opinion from. They might as well just pack up and stop the business. As a business woman such should never be encouraged.”
Talatu Ibrahim, 37-year- old doctor, believes that involving family members or even in-laws should never be encouraged. “Involving family members in any serious business is a no no, especially in-laws. You can’t win their love by being good and hurting yourself and your business. What’s yours is yours and what is for business should be strictly for business. This is where African mentality fails us. In the western world, no serious thinking partner or relative just works up to a store to pick an item because he/she knows you or is related to you. Until that mentality is changed, doing business with relatives in Africa has a long way to go.”
Ngozi Umeaka, 35-year-old businesswoman, says “that’s why Igbos always say ‘Business is business and family is family’, never mix both. I don’t advise anyone to mingle business with family.This should also serve as a warning and lesson to good people who do everything to please family and in-laws.”
