Dependable Homebuyers Founder Discusses Working With Family Members

In a recent article posted by the online resource Business.com, Dependable Homebuyers’ founder and real estate agent Evan Roberts spoke up about the benefits and hardships of working with family and shared certain considerations to keep in mind when hiring a family member. While working with family is a rather common occurrence, few realize the challenges and difficulties that this arrangement could cause.

On one hand, hiring family members is a good way to start a new business. However, this could also lead to problems further down the line where some precautions may be needed to maintain a peaceful relationship both in the work environment and in their personal life. Navigating the differences between those relationships is a common issue for business owners. This prompted Business.com to reach out and ask for the opinion and advice of successful business owners who employ their families. Among them, Roberts stood out due to having worked with family members since early on in the founding of his company, which he has managed to grow without much trouble while avoiding any major issues involving his family members.

Roberts shared insight on some crucial topics — such as setting boundaries when merging family with work. He explained, "It's important to set the terms of the agreement at the onset and even build a succession plan for the future,"

He agreed that it is important to set ground rules before hiring any family member as an employee to avoid claims of unjust treatment, nepotism and family politics. Personal issues must be separated from professional ones, as these could affect one another and cause a business to fail due to internal conflict. They can even be greatly damaging to one's family relationship.

Hiring a family member may also cause discomfort among other workers, and it may raise worries, resentment and accusations of favoritism. To avoid this, it is important to treat all workers equally. Roberts said, "In our business, I find that I tend to set higher expectations and be more critical of family members than I am of nonrelative employees. This could result in an unfair work environment where relatives are unable to grow and advance on an equal playing field."

To prevent this type of environment, Roberts stated that each of his family members reports to him through nonrelative employees, who are then able to provide objective evaluations of performance. He continued, "Unlike most anti-nepotism policies, this structure isn't in place to prevent favoritism but instead provides my family members a fair and impartial environment in which to work without the complications of family dynamics interfering with career growth and performance."

This type of arrangement can also ensure that family members do not receive special treatment. It goes a long way in terms of avoiding resentment from other workers and family as well. Business.com also sought different views from other successful business owners, who advised new entrepreneurs to try and maintain a work-family balance — and agree on by-laws before hiring anyone. To learn more readers can follow their blog for additional content.

Overall, there are several benefits to working with family, as there is a sense of comfort and familiarity that comes from working with people close to oneself. Hiring family members removes the need for interviews and background checks, saving resources that can be dedicated to other, more important matters that new businesses depend on. This can help kickstart a business and set it on the right path for success, as they have a dedicated workforce ready to help with minor setbacks. Customers also tend to prefer family-run businesses, as it inspires trust and more personal treatment.

This also comes with some disadvantages, as it can be difficult to correct behavior or negative attitudes with family members. Confrontation and communication can be challenging, and most of the time, business owners tend to avoid conflict to keep from hurting anyone's feelings. This can negatively affect the way the company is run, and it is important for all parties to remember that they are running a business before all else. The full article can be found here: https://www.business.com/articles/working-with-family/.

Dependable Homebuyers is a real estate company that purchases homes nationally. They focus on buying properties with fair, all-cash offers. Those interested in selling their properties quickly at a fair price can reach out to Evan Roberts to schedule a meeting or visit the company's website and fill out their contact form.