Do Friends and Business Mix?
I usually avoid situations where I go to friends for business issues. If I have a friend with a store, I might try and patronize that store if I like the product, but for the most part I have had a bad track record with mixing friendships and business.
I mostly have small examples. I have one friend who is a hairdresser. Her clientele is loyal and she works at a high priced salon. Nonetheless, she had never done a good job on my hair cuts or color. I have given her repeated opportunities and I have never been happy. And, when I have had my hair cut by someone else, she notices and is hurt.
I have another friend who sells insurance. I made the mistake of telling him I was interested in a life insurance policy that would benefit my daughter if something happens to me. Now, instead of nice social visits at his home, dinner with my family and his family is always interrupted by him trying to hand me a llife insurance quote. I feel like I can never just go to his home for a relaxing visit. I have to be poised and ready to deal with his hard sell.
I’m not even going to start on the neighbor who harangued me about joining her pyramid scheme travel company. I never, ever felt like we could just sit and talk. She was constantly focused on recruiting new people and it permeated our time together.
I’ve never gone into business with a fined. That might be a different issue. I can see starting a small business with someone I already know and trust, as long as we had the terms set before we even started.
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