By Kim Wright, Nothing Bundt Cakes and Wright Commissioning

At Nothing Bundt Cakes, we strive to have a culture that feels and functions like a family. But what happens when you actually work with your family members?

Popular opinion may warn against hiring family members, citing nepotism and drama. As a momtrepreneur, I like to challenge the norms. I focus on the positives of employing siblings, couples, cousins, parents and their children, aunts and nieces, uncles and nephews, and other family-like bonded individuals. At times, we face coworking challenges within these relationships, but, for the most part, we find that the positives of working with connected employees outweigh the negatives. In my experience, having actual family members in our locations helps naturally build an intimate work family.

I surveyed a dozen related employees to learn the best and worst parts of working together, and these are their top five pros and cons.

Nothing Bundt the Best: The Pros of Working with Family

• Instant work besties! From day one on the job, you know all about your co-worker.
• Your family has your back. When you’re not having your best day, someone’s always there to pick up your slack. 
• You’ll grow closer and feel proud of one another’s accomplishments. Seeing someone you know so well achieve things you might not believe if you didn’t see it with your own eyes can give you all the feels.
• Carpooling! When you can use less of your paycheck for gas and more for fun, that’s winning.
• You share family values. Bringing similar family values into work helps organically make your work team feel like family. 

Nothing Sweet About It: The Cons of Working with Family

• Even though you might share a family resemblance doesn’t mean you’re the same person; being compared to one another is the absolute worst.
• When tempers flare at home, it’s hard not to bring that heat to work. Sometimes, it’s hard to check your feelings at the door.
• When work talk turns to family talk, your co-workers can learn your family nicknames and embarrassing moments when you least expect it. Your chatty sibling can spill the beans you don’t want out!
• When you work and live together, there’s no break from each other. Sometimes, you just need a change of scenery. When you’re both on the same payroll, it’s hard to find the space.
• When you work at the same place, work talk often ends up at the dinner table. Even though you don’t want it to, work always follows you home.

Working with family isn’t a fit for everyone, but my husband and I have always found that blurring the lines between work and home is our happy place. As our four sons grow closer to work-appropriate ages, I look forward to having them learn more about our family businesses.  Maybe it will be their legacy. At a minimum, it will give this Mom additional time with them until they leave the nest.

Expert Article on Entrepreneurship provided by Kim Wright of Nothing Bundt Cakes
(1001 Baltimore Pike, Suite B-2, Springfield) [email protected].