My Sister Once Said; “There Is No Family In Business”
I recently ventured into a catfish farming business and am still in the building phase. I don't have much resources to grow so fast. So I started small with the little resources at hand. It wasn’t easy. At times when you see business owners, who own a business and then after a few times they decide to sell it off or not willing to run the business anymore, you don't know what they are facing until you dive into one. There are a lot of challenges.
So at some point, I started growing gradually, not really that fast. But at this point, I had reared some set of fish from fingerlings to table-sized. They were my first set of productions. It was time I started selling so I won't be running at a loss by just feeding them when I didn't have the space to contain their growth.
My sister returned home around this time. She was happy with the progress. Then she decided to patronize me. She wanted to buy some as a gift to people she would be visiting. She asked for the price and I told her the exact market price. Dad was there at that time then he asked if I should give her some extra on what she wanted to buy. She looked at him and smiled.
I never agreed on my end. Though I was about to get convinced to do so. Then she faced me, looked me in the eye, and said;
“Bro there is NO family In BUSINESS!!”
Sell exactly what I want for me. And don’t consider any family emotions. I smiled, even her actions were enough.
One thing I have learned over time is the fact that business is ruined mostly when a lot of emotions are attached. Family wise, friends, loved ones, relatives, or even personally. Business should be business!
There was a time when I encountered a terrible experience and a big mistake from my end. I regret my actions then because I was at fault and all the blame bounced back on me. Recently we still had a conversation about it. And I felt regretful for making such mistakes.
It was sometime around the year 2022 when I was about to round up my youth service. I was appointed the Head of Muslim Corpers in the barracks where I served. As the head, you will surely have more connections with almost everyone. With the military officers, the women in the barracks, and even all of the Corp members.
We had our ventures where we sell miscellaneous to our fellow corpers, this business has been on for years and passed down to new corp members over time. I was appointed alongside a sister who was in charge of the business. But as the head she has to report to me if there is anything they need.
She did well and boosted the business during our time. Everyone loved her talent and our era became the talk of the time. But there was a time when the head of the Muslim women in the barracks came to see me, and she asked for help. Since she was also overseeing the business as a guardian and she remained in the barracks as we kept handing over to each other, she knew all about it.
With that influence she came to ask me to lend her a sum of money, I think that was about 50,000 or 20,000 I can’t remember. But as of that time, the sister in charge told me to allow her to make a written document and sign an agreement on when she would pay back. I disagreed.
I had to take it up on her for saying so to the woman leader, she later succumbed to my words she gave the woman the money without an agreement. She just said she would refund as soon as the issue gets solved.
At some point when I was about to pass out, I asked her about the money but she didn’t give me a positive response. We had to give an account of how the administration managed the business. If this woman failed to refund the money till I passed out. And once I am out, there is a lower chance of refunding.
The sister in charge blamed me for not listening to her and trusting the woman. Had been there a written agreement and signature then we would have charged her to the disciplinary committee in the barracks and gotten our money back. Recently we had a conversation and I asked if it was refunded, but she hasn’t. I learned my lesson.
This is my response to the hive learners community weekly featured content on Hive for the week 103 edition 1 and the topic to be discussed is BUSINESS AND LOVE
Your sister is a good person and had your interest at heart, I think most of our family members knows business is business, but you see sone friends, they are so terrible and if you give them a chance, would ruin your business.
We can never compare family with friends. Friends came from no where and they can disappear into the thin air anytime any day. But your family always got your back everytime
Family should steer clear from one's business if they won't support or pay for services rendered to them. For me, when I do social gatherings, it should be be mistaken for business and when we get talking or doing business, social stuff shouldn't be brought into it. Basic.
That’s it. Both are clear and different. If I have the fund for socials I would do. Not that I should do it in the name of my business. That’s not the way
Nowadays you should never trust someone’s word just because you know them. I hope you will never repeat it again.
!PIZZA
Yeah. It will never happen. Lesson learned.
Emotions in business is so detrimental though I haven't learnt my lessons or I can't help it. I love how your sister supported your work.
Yeah. I appreciated her ways too. And hopefully I pray you don’t have to learn too. Since you read and learn from peoples experiences
$PIZZA slices delivered:
@ayamihaya(2/5) tipped @abdul-qudus
When it comes to businesses that involves selling an item (catfish farming, groceries traders, etc), so many have ended up closing the business because they are always giving discounts to family and friends. Your sister is right, there's no family in business and most successful traders live by that rule
Yeah I agree with that. And I am sticking to her rules. That’s just one way to get things right.
The danger in not having a written agreement documented when it comes to issue with money is always something disastrous and regretful in the end. I read similar story minutes ago and the mistake was that there was no written agreement even when he was told to take one but he refused because he allowed emotions in it. This is something one should be careful of in business. There is no family in business at all.
Meanwhile, I like your sister. She understands what business is and how it should be run.
Yeah. That’s just it. I learnt a hard way. And worries. Maybe I will have her as my Personal Assistant when the time comes 😂. I will see how she would handle it.
Hehehe 😀
That's good
Catfish business is really lucrative though all businesses come with their own challenges but when we persevere, the outcome is always a good one. You had a good sister I must say, not all sister would have done what yours did.
Trust we have for others at times can land is into big regret. Sometimes, things happen simply for us to learn something from the action.
You are right. Totally right. We can’t trust everyone. At some point there should be limits. I really mad a mistake.
And yeah thanks for the compliments.