This blog is about Family Businesses specifically and business in general.

What makes this blog unique is the viewpoint. I’ve been involved with family businesses for most of my life and recognize the unique challenges associated with them. There seems to be nothing more rewarding or more discouraging than working with family.

I’ve started this blog hoping to help family businesses realize their potential, not by offering financial or legal advice, but by posting some thoughts from time to time on the very thing that makes a family business so unique – the relationships specific to these organizations. It has been my experience that unless, or until, the relationships between the family members are harmonious, it will matter very little if the businesses are financial behemoths or bankrupt nonentities.

Family businesses take all forms. They can be anything from the local Food Mart to large, multi-million dollar companies that remain owned by families rather than going public. What all of these business have in common is that they seem to retain the founding family’s “personality.” This comes through in every facet of the business. However, outside observers usually experience this personality manifesting itself in the way employees are treated, vendors are regarded, and customers revered and respected, the relationships.

I am the oldest of six siblings, and, in my mind, perhaps the least successful. My siblings have gone on to be successful, each in their own profession. I’m very proud of all of them. I have a sister who works at a private school as an Advisor where she counsels with and helps young teenage people gain a firm footing in life. Another sister is an accomplished Special Education Teacher and works with elementary age children with special needs. My oldest brother is a National Sales Manager for a Multi-National company. Another brother is a successful dentist. My youngest brother is a successful Endodontist. All, at one time or another, have been involved with the family business.

I spent most of my youth working with my grandfather on his family farm. Since then I have been involved in one way or another in my father’s trucking company. I have occupied most positions in his company from “parts-boy” to Executive Vice-President, CEO. I was most intimately involved in his company at a time when we worked it out of a Chapter 11 Bankruptcy. I gained a lifetime’s worth of experience during that rather critical and “exciting” 8 years. During that time, we changed his company from a company with many employees and financial obligations to one with fewer employees and fewer financial obligations. Through this transition, we retained similar gross earnings and boosted profitability tremendously.

It has been an interesting journey, not for the faint of heart. There have been a myriad of lessons learned, observations made and either confirmed true or exposed as being false, and experiences to be both treasured and forgotten. My only hope is that something shared herein will result in a happier, more fulfilling, and productive work environment in your family business. I hope that this resource might help you avoid some of the pitfalls and missteps that have caused us great stress and heartache as well as those that have made the journey a successful one.

While there are many similarities between families and family businesses, there are perhaps even more differences. I have had a lot of experience dealing with both the good and the bad; however, I have not had your experience. My hope is that you will use what makes sense to you, what will improve your situation, and discard the thoughts and ideas that do not apply. You know your situation better than I do. If you have something you are facing that you’d like a comment on, please contact me using the form on the site. I will be happy to offer my unique perspective, ideas, and support.

You are free to make any comments about any posts, however, please be forewarned that I do not indulge in negativity. I will not allow any “potty-mouth” words or ignorant comments. There is enough of that elsewhere on the internet. We don’t need any here.

If you are interested in relationships of all kinds, you might enjoy my blog – A Season, A Reason, A Lifetime.

If you are interested in thinking better, understanding situations better, and improving yourself or your organization from the inside out, you might enjoy my main site – Offpoint, Inc.– where you can also link to my blog – Offpoint Blog.

If you enjoy what you read, or if you find anything you feel of value, I would appreciate you sharing them with your friends and family.

You’ll notice some links throughout the sites to Amazon and other affiliates. They’ll pay me a small commission if you link through from this site if you decide to purchase something that I’ve highlighted and found helpful. I would appreciate it.

On a personal note, you are among the most daring and adventurous of all people. You have put yourself in a position to experience the best and the worst life has to offer. I hope this blog will help you experience the best by avoiding the obvious mistakes we too often overlook because they seem insignificant and rather innocent at the time. To that end, we begin!

Russ Bethers
July 25, 2008

All material COPYRIGHT© 2008, Russell R. Bethers, Offpoint, Inc., USA
You are free to link to this post, however, no part of this material in any form or portion may be used without the prior written permission of the author.