Let’s face it, working with family, let alone sisters, can be complicated. “What’s it like working with your sisters?” – we get this question ALL the time, seriously! I think most people can’t wrap their heads around how we created a new design business with not only one family partner but two (or in our case – three sisters). Let me be the first to tell you, it is not what people think it is. It was probably one of the best, unexpected things to happen to us. We didn’t always know this is what we wanted to do, but when the time came it felt like the universe collided and we understood our calling. Honestly speaking, working with family is not for everyone, but it absolutely can be done with the right dynamic. We wish we knew a few things before starting a business with sisters and we hope these tips will be useful if you’re considering opening a business with a family member.
Working hard for something we don’t care about is called stress: Working hard for something we love is called passion.
Simon Sinek
1. Your work-life balance will dramatically change
I refuse to sugarcoat this part because this was hands down the biggest change for the three of us. When you work for someone else, you typically go to work at 9 am and walk out at 5 pm, having completely forgotten about your workload as soon as you walk out the door. When you run a business with family, not only is working more than 40+ hours the norm but the same family you work with, you are also seeing at family gatherings and on the weekends. In a nutshell, the lines between “work” and “life” get blurry and it can be difficult to manage if you don’t realize it’s happening to you. In our case, Angelica and I live together with our husbands (it’s a temporary situation) which means we work out together, walk the dogs together, cook and eat almost every meal together and after “working hours” we still hang out and see each other. Of course, this probably isn’t very common for most people reading this (or maybe it is if you’re considering opening a business with your spouse, parent, or aunt/uncle), but if anything, it can make separating work and life even more challenging. It’s easy for us to get distracted with a new client inquiry that comes in at 8 pm or talk about all the design furnishings we put together for a client at breakfast on Saturday morning at our mom’s house, however; we are cognizant now that there’s a time and place for everything. This will always be a challenge and is something we want you to know and
be comfortable with before starting a business with your family.
2. Your relationship dynamic with your family member(s) will naturally be different.
The million-dollar question as I mentioned in the beginning is “What’s it like working with your sisters?” Well, let’s start with the fact that we are from different generations. Paola & I are Millennials, while Angelica is a Gen Z. I mention this because the big age difference between the three of us means we each have very different perspectives, and life experiences and are each in totally different phases of our lives today. We see things differently, and that’s okay. That’s what makes our dynamic work so well because
we each have different takes on a design style or how to approach a problem. As sisters, it is easy for us to get off topic in the middle of a meeting because we’re talking about the trip we’re all taking together to New York, or the outfit we’re going to wear to so and so’s dinner. We have to try our best to turn on “work mode” to be as productive as possible with the least number of distractions. This is much harder than it sounds, especially if you’re close to your family member/partner.
3. Define responsibilities with your family member(s) in your business as early as possible.
Figure out what each of you is good at and the value you can each provide. We are not all good at everything and luckily for you if you’re not starting this business alone, you have someone to share responsibilities with. Running a business requires wearing multiple hats such as marketing, accounting, sales, and many administrative tasks. We made the mistake at the beginning of thinking we could do everything together and this was probably the least productive approach we could have chosen because then we each had very different opinions on how to do something and we would all become overwhelmed and frustrated. Trusting your family member(s) and being open to their ideas will undoubtedly help your business grow and reach new levels. We realized Angelica is the best at all the technical work (creating 3D Renders, Floor Plans, Elevations, and maneuvering the complex software we use to bring our designs to life), Paola has a great eye for finding amazing deals and putting looks together while I am best at managing administrative tasks (writing emails, proposals, and contracts and
managing our accounting and payroll). We all love to design, so we come together and challenge each other, and it comes out even better than what we had started with. We promise that having defined responsibilities with your family member(s) early on will help your business run more efficiently!
Nonetheless, don’t let the fear of the unknown stop you from opening a business with a family member. If following your dreams means doing it with your family, consider yourself blessed. It’s not everyone that gets to work with their family. Consider our learnings before you jump into working with your family, and if you’re okay with these changes and tips, opening a business with your family might be right for you. We applaud you on your entrepreneurial endeavors and we want to support you along the way!
If you want to see more of our working dynamic, follow us on Instagram @threesistersinteriors and check out more of our lifestyle posts! Comment below with your family business experiences or any questions you have for us!
This was an interesting read! Definitely not easy working with family but can be worthwhile!