Family business challenge: hiring outside the family

When you head a family business, you face a number of challenges absent in non-family businesses. One of the most trying can be determining whether family members have the skills and experience to be productive employees, or you need to look outside the family to staff your team.

If it sounds like this is a slippery slope, believe me, it is. Family dynamics aren't the same as business dynamics, and a combination of the two can be a disaster or a blessing — depending on how proactive and transparent you are.

Your first challenge is to identify the philosophy of your family business. Having clear focus as to what really drives the business will assist you tremendously in making decisions and dealing with office dynamics, so think about which of the following three philosophies resonates with you: