Perks Of Joining the Family Business

For some families, going into the family business is a no-brainer. It's what grandpa did, dad followed suit, and now it's time for the next generation to follow in the footsteps paved before them.

Joining the family business has its attributes whether or not you're gung-ho on the idea. If you're an eager beaver geared up to partner with your relatives in business or you're not quite sure the family business is the right decision for your future, these perks will reaffirm or convince you that joining the family business is a smart choice. Get ready to hum, "We Are Family" on your way to work every day!

Trust

If you can't trust your family, who can you trust? In scenarios where you need someone to give you the no-nonsense low-down on a delicate situation or you need to run an idea past someone who's a straight-shooter, family members are the folks who you can count on.

As per American Express, "Trust is essential in all business, but especially so in a business where trade secrets are make-or-break. There's a very high level of trust among family members and they can talk to each other very freely and openly."

Trust is also of value when it comes to money matters. You can be sure you're being paid fairly and on par with what other family members earned in the role you've taken on. And performance will be truthfully reviewed and discussed with the goal to keep you going strong for yourself and the good of the business.

Tradition

There's something to be said about carrying on a family tradition. Thanksgiving gatherings at Aunt Suzy's and yearly trips to the lake at the state park are lovely and something to remember fondly, but becoming a vital part of a generations' old family business takes tradition to a greater and more powerful level.


Value Walk notes, "By working in the family business and taking it over one day, you have a unique bond with your relatives. It can deepen both your relationships and your roots in your community. You can have a real stake in the company's future, both emotionally and financially. The pride you have in working for a firm founded by your family can be motivating, and, when you have the opportunity to improve that business and make decisions that move it safely into the future, it can be very gratifying."

This feeling of tradition will make every business decision you make all the more important because your family is counting on your strength and solid commitment. It may feel like extra pressure, but it's really a deep-rooted drive to do your very best every day.

Loyalty

Unlike working for a large corporation or some other company which you may not have deep ties to, working for a family business is one of the greatest acts of loyalty you can make, as is the commitment you'll have for the business itself.

"Family-owned businesses are theoretically ideal because family members form a grounded and loyal foundation for the company and because family members will often exhibit more dedication to their common goals. Having a certain level of intimacy among the owners of a business can help bring about familiarity with the company and having family members around provides a built-in support system that should ensure teamwork and solidarity," says Chron Small Business.

Knowing those you work with are willing to go above and beyond to sacrifice for the sake of the family will be motivational and contagious. The commitment is not only to the business, but to the members of the family as well. This type of devotion helps make businesses succeed both monetarily and by achieving a positive reputation among customers, clients, and the community.

Flexibility

Working for a family business can be advantageous when it comes to give and take in the workplace. If you need to work from home, show up a little later than usual, or swap tasks with a peer, families tend to give the OK more readily than other companies might. This can vastly improve your work/life balance as well as your overall workplace satisfaction.

According to Chron Small Business, "Families tend to be more lenient and forgiving when it comes to work schedules, work-related decisions and judgments, and even mistakes." And Vistage adds, "You won't hear, 'Sorry, but that's not in my job description' in a family business. Family members are willing to wear several different hats and to take on tasks outside of their formal jobs in order to ensure the success of the company."

Flexibility also results in a more relaxed work environment leading to less stress and more time for creative thinking and collaboration. What else could be more valuable towards taking a business to new heights?


You can be part of the family business with pride and productivity. Your fierce commitment and solidarity with your co-workers will reassure you that working for the family business is a smart and satisfying choice.

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Can We Afford To Return To The Office?

Over two years into the most momentous event in our lives the world has changed forever … Some of us have PTSD from being locked up at home, some are living like everything’s going to end tomorrow, and the rest of us are merely trying to get by. When the pandemic hit we entered a perpetual state of vulnerability, but now we’re supposed to return to normal and just get on with our lives.

What does that mean? Packed bars, concerts, and grocery shopping without a mask feel totally strange. We got used to having more rules over our everyday life, considering if we really had to go out or keeping Zooming from our living rooms in threadbare pajama bottoms.

The work-from-home culture changed it all. Initially, companies were skeptical about letting employees work remotely, automatically assuming work output would fall and so would the quality. To the contrary, since March of 2020 productivity has risen by 47%, which says it all. Employees can work from home and still deliver results.

There are a number of reasons why everyone loves the work from home culture. We gained hours weekly that were wasted on public transport, people saved a ton of money, and could work from anywhere in the world. Then there were the obvious reasons like wearing sweats or loungewear all week long and having your pets close by. Come on, whose cat hasn’t done a tap dance on your keyboard in the middle of that All Hands Call!

Working from home grants the freedom to decorate your ‘office’ any way you want. But then people needed a change of environment. Companies began requesting their employees' RTO, thus generating the Hybrid Work Model — a blend of in-person and virtual work arrangements. Prior to 2020, about 20% of employees worked from home, but in the midst of the pandemic, it exploded to around 70%.

Although the number of people working from home increased and people enjoyed their flexibility, politicians started calling for a harder RTW policy. President Joe Biden urges us with, “It’s time for Americans to get back to work and fill our great downtowns again.”

While Boris Johnson said, “Mother Nature does not like working from home.'' It wasn’t surprising that politicians wanted people back at their desks due to the financial impact of working from the office. According to a report in the BBC, US workers spent between $2,000 - $5,000 each year on transport to work before the pandemic.

That’s where the problem lies. The majority of us stopped planning for public transport, takeaway coffee, and fresh work-appropriate outfits. We must reconsider these things now, and our wallets are paying

the price. Gas costs are at an all-time high, making public transport increase their fees; food and clothes are all on a steep incline. A simple iced latte from Dunkin’ went from $3.70 to $3.99 (which doesn’t seem like much but 2-3 coffees a day with the extra flavors and shots add up to a lot), while sandwiches soared by 14% and salads by 11%.

This contributes to the pressure employees feel about heading into the office. Remote work may have begun as a safety measure, but it’s now a savings measure for employees around the world.

Bloomberg are offering its US staff a $75 daily commuting stipend that they can spend however they want. And other companies are doing the best they can. This still lends credence to ‘the great resignation.’ Initially starting with the retail, food service, and hospitality sectors which were hard hit during the pandemic, it has since spread to other industries. By September 2021, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 4.4 million resignations.

That’s where the most critical question lies…work from home, work from the office or stick to this new hybrid world culture?

Borris Johnson thinks, “We need to get back into the habit of getting into the office.” Because his experience of working from home “is you spend an awful lot of time making another cup of coffee and then, you know, getting up, walking very slowly to the fridge, hacking off a small piece of cheese, then walking very slowly back to your laptop and then forgetting what it was you’re doing.”

While New York City Mayor Eric Adams says you “can't stay home in your pajamas all day."

In the end, does it really matter where we work if efficiency and productivity are great? We’ve proven that companies can trust us to achieve the same results — or better! — and on time with this hybrid model. Employees can be more flexible, which boosts satisfaction, improves both productivity and retention, and improves diversity in the workplace because corporations can hire through the US and indeed all over the world.

We’ve seen companies make this work in many ways, through virtual lunches, breakout rooms, paint and prosecco parties, and — the most popular — trivia nights.

As much as we strive for normalcy, the last two years cannot simply be erased. So instead of wiping out this era, it's time to embrace the change and find the right world culture for you.

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