Ask any business owner whether they would recommend working with family, and you’ll likely get the same answer: It depends.
For my wife, Kathy, and me, our insurance agency has become much more than a business. Kathy is my business partner, co-owner, and Agency Manager. Our son, Kyle, serves as our Operations Manager and is preparing to lead the agency in the years ahead. His fiancée, Stephanie, is one of our Account Managers. On paper, we’re a family business.
In reality, though, every member of our team has become part of our extended family.
That doesn’t mean it’s always easy.
Working with family can be one of the most rewarding experiences imaginable, but it can also be one of the most challenging. Business decisions don’t always stay at the office, and personal conversations don’t always wait until you get home. The lines can blur quickly if you’re not careful.
Over the years, we’ve learned that the only way to make it work is through mutual respect, honest communication, and accountability. Family shouldn’t receive special treatment. In fact, if anything, the expectations are often even higher because everyone understands the responsibility of protecting something you’ve built together.
The same principle applies to friendships. Many of our clients have become close friends over the years, and many friendships have grown into business relationships. Those relationships have been some of the greatest blessings of my career, but they’ve also reminded me that trust must always come before business.
As Kathy and I begin planning for the future, there’s comfort in knowing that the values we’ve worked so hard to build—integrity, service, accountability, and treating people like family—will continue with the next generation.
Whether you’re building a business with relatives, lifelong friends, or a team that eventually feels like family, success isn’t determined by your last name. It’s determined by the culture you create and the people you choose to invest in every day.
Craig Davis Family Insurance serves the Temecula Valley and provides home, auto, life, specialty, and business insurance tailored to customers’ needs. Visit craigdavisfamilyinsurance.com to learn more.
This article was originally posted in The Valley Business Journal
