Everything's gone wrong

pusscat

I don’t know if it is too late to do anything about the business, but if it isn’t then here are some thoughts!

What usually happens in a small family business is that everyone just thinks they are going to muck in and get along – no one has really thought through the “business plan” . It sounds like this has happened to you. Your sister is the creative talent and provides what you sell and provides the displays for it - without her there is no business as there is nothing to sell, however someone else (you?) needs to be running the business (marketing, sales, planning, forecasting, accounts, admin, insurances etc) and without those there is also no business (as there is no shop/cashflow, insurance, raw products etc). So BOTH sides are equally important as without either there is no business – you are both required and equally important to make a “business” does that make sense?

1) In a family business it is vital that everyone has a defined role with their own responsibilities. This is never going to work if you are all squabbling each time a window display needs doing – you each need to focus your effort and attention on one area. So if your sister is the creative one then she needs to be left to do the window displays without hassle.
2) A “successful business” is about many things – the right product, the right marketing, the right cashflow, the right legal structures, the right staffing levels, the right spending, the right forward planning – the business is not just about the creative product – that needs to be right, but without the rest of it the product will fail.
3) I don’t know who had which role in the business, but as an example, if you are the “figures” one then you need to be making sure that all the bills are paid, that the cashflow is adequate, that the accounts are done, insurance cover is in place, company returns are submitted etc. This role is just as important as the “creative” role as the business.
4) Each person in their defined role needs to have the same goal, each role needs to have targets and a strategic vision as to where you are all going to get to at the same time – so for instance if it is a Christmas plan then the creative person needs to ensure that the Christmas window display is in for Dec 1st, the marketing person needs to plan how many of each product will be sold and then pass this information to the creative person, the creative person needs to asses cant hey produce these products in time/on budget/to quality and if not a negotiation for a compromise has to be made. The figures/admin person needs to ensure that there is the right cash to buy the products, that there is the right staff scheduled at the right times, that the suppliers are paid on time, that the insurance is up to date etc.
5) The creative person also has to be organised enough to be able to say “I am not going to hit the window display target of Dec 1st”(preferably at least a week or two before!) and the business partner needs to use their plannign and organising skills to say – “OK, well can you hit the 3rd”, or “we have the local press coming on the 2nd so we need to have something ready” – and do a replan based on what you have/know/can do.
6) As far as staffing the shop goes – you need to work out hours that suit you BOTH – maybe you opt for a formal day for both of you, maybe you just opt for a number of hours that you each do and work it on a rota. Whatever you do it is vital that you both agree to it and stick to it.
7) It is vitally important that there is actually one person in the business who is in overall control – as a family you need to agree on this and respect that persons decisions.
8) You all need to treat this as a proper business, not a family jaunt – proper hours, proper procedures in place if things go wrong, individual responsibility - start looking on it as a real job, not a family jaunt!

You have to separate out the roles – you cannot both do the same jobs – it is a recipe for disaster. Split the shop into 2 distinct roles, your sister takes on the creative role, she makes/does whatever it is that you sell, she does the glamorous window displays and the shelves, she is responsible for whatever else is on that side of the business. You take on the running of the business, the planning, the marketing, the advertising, the forecasting, the accounts, the admin, the banking, the decision making. If your Mum has put the money in then she either needs to be a silent partner, or a leader – she cannot just flit in and out as suits. I would suggest that she stays silent. You need to set up a “shareholder” meeting say every month and this meeting sets the programme for the next 3 months (or even the 3 months after that if you are organised) and everyone agrees to it and you stick to it. If your sister wants to just look after the creative side then she needs to respect and respond to your business side. Both sides are equally important in running a business – and you all need to understand that.

I would even go as far as giving you each individual job titles – your sister is “Creative Director” and you are “Managing Director” for sake of argument, give your sister total control of the creative side (that is her speciality) and you take on total control of the business side. You both report back to the Board (Mum) every month about how you are doing against your targets.

I hope this makes sense – as I don’t know what you do or how you organise your business it is a bit hard to be specific, but I hope this helps a bit. If it is any comfort, many small family businesses suffer this problem but as a warning they either sort it out into a proper business structure, or they fail.


Puss
xx

ema_o

Pusscat, good post and I agree with what you are saying, however I think part of the problem is that the OP wants to have at least part of the creative role (with the shelves, the cafe area etc). It sounds like both the op and her sister are creative, but the sister is the one skilled at making the chocs.

Op you mentioned you'd not had a meeting for the last couple of weeks. In a situation like yours I would say a weekly meeting is crucial to give all parties a chance to talk and be heard - otherwise disagreements are more likely to come up at inappropriate times.

sassyblue

pusscats advice is excellent, l also work in a family business and agree with what she's said.

Your sister is immature and unprofessional, she may be stressed but communication is key, you do need to sit down and discuss many things but she needs to realise this is not a game it's life.

If she can't grow up l don't see a future for this sadly. She doesn't have respect because this has been handed to her on a plate, l feel sorry for you and your mum.

Best of luck xx

pusscat

ema_o wrote: »

Pusscat, good post and I agree with what you are saying, however I think part of the problem is that the OP wants to have at least part of the creative role (with the shelves, the cafe area etc). It sounds like both the op and her sister are creative, but the sister is the one skilled at making the chocs.

Op you mentioned you'd not had a meeting for the last couple of weeks. In a situation like yours I would say a weekly meeting is crucial to give all parties a chance to talk and be heard - otherwise disagreements are more likely to come up at inappropriate times.

I think you are probably right - I had not read someof the later posts in the thread when I wrote this....

2 creative people with very different ideas and no businsess manager in a 21/2 person company is a recipe for trouble.....so if this is the case then they are better off splitting up the partnership and both pursuing their own creative ideas

Maybe they could split the roles along the lines of "front of house" for the displays and "back of house" for the creative making of the choccies - but they still need someone to manage the business.

sassyblue

ema_o wrote: »

Pusscat, good post and I agree with what you are saying, however I think part of the problem is that the OP wants to have at least part of the creative role (with the shelves, the cafe area etc). It sounds like both the op and her sister are creative, but the sister is the one skilled at making the chocs.

Op you mentioned you'd not had a meeting for the last couple of weeks. In a situation like yours I would say a weekly meeting is crucial to give all parties a chance to talk and be heard - otherwise disagreements are more likely to come up at inappropriate times.

You're right but l don't see what's wrong with sharing. How many shop window displays are there, could one do one window and one another? if not take it in turns - whilst seeing whose displays bring the customers in

You defintiely need to define whose role is whose and make it clear this is a parnership, you need each other! so sometimes a little give and take is required.

Also, talk on neutral ground, less chance of raising voices and stomping off.

pusscat

Also, talk on neutral ground, less chance of raising voices and stomping off.[/QUOTE]

really good idea -public too - posh hotel lobby bar or somewhere......may also be good to all wear business suits so that you feel the part and maybe that will help to act it.

Errata

It's a puzzling situation. If a business can't be run without everyone in it taking turns to kick off, throw their toys out of the pram or need counselling it could be argued none of them are fit for purpose.

MCMitten

Errata wrote: »

It's a puzzling situation. If a business can't be run without everyone in it taking turns to kick off, throw their toys out of the pram or need counselling it could be argued none of them are fit for purpose.

I lurk on this forum alot and there's a few people I respect as I know they will give sound advice (you being one of them )
I think working with family is a whole different ballgame. I've never encountered someone within the work enviroment who behaves as my sister is, but i'm starting to realise that maybe she wouldn't act this way towards people who were not close to her (she didn't in her previous job as far as I know)

Her boyfriend is a lovely, shy boy and we get on well, but the councelling is not all down to working at the shop (it was just the last straw for him) A close friend of his passed away and his mother is incredibly ill so I think my sister trying to lean on him for support (when clearly he needs it) has just been too much for him:(

As for me, well.... I've had one blowout in 8 months whilst under immense stress. I think i'm doing well

Thankyou for being honest

MCMitten

Well i've had time to think and i've decided i'm not going to give up on this... it's my chance at a better life for me and my son and I will try damn hard to make it work.

The meetings will be happening every week without fail and I think the suggestions of designating areas to each person is an excellant idea.

Pusscat- thankyou for your post, very helpful :A I also like the idea of meeting on neutral territory:T

I have a couple of days off because I know i've run myself into the ground. A coldsore has appeared and that for me means 'STOP for a while, your doing too much' So i'm going to do the thereputic task of cleaning out some cupboards and leave my sister to cope with the shop for a couple of days. It may give her some time to see what else is involved (or move stuff around whilst i'm not there:rotfl:)

Bitsy_Beans

michele_stewart wrote: »

I lurk on this forum alot and there's a few people I respect as I know they will give sound advice (you being one of them )
I think working with family is a whole different ballgame. I've never encountered someone within the work enviroment who behaves as my sister is, but i'm starting to realise that maybe she wouldn't act this way towards people who were not close to her (she didn't in her previous job as far as I know)

Her boyfriend is a lovely, shy boy and we get on well, but the councelling is not all down to working at the shop (it was just the last straw for him) A close friend of his passed away and his mother is incredibly ill so I think my sister trying to lean on him for support (when clearly he needs it) has just been too much for him:(

As for me, well.... I've had one blowout in 8 months whilst under immense stress. I think i'm doing well

Thankyou for being honest

Well in my experience your sister wouldn't last 5 mins at a company behaving the way she does. A bit of a spoilt princess from the sound of things and at 18 I don't think she's probably mature enough to understand about it being a career and making a living for real. Goodness at 18 I just wanted to earn money enough to cover my housekeeping for my mum and my social life :rotfl:

I agree with all the suggestions of a crisis meeting and I wouldn't want to chuck in the towel after all the hard work.