Friends as Employees in Startup Bus...

[ZKaudio]

so... have any of you guys tried using existing friends for employees when developing a workforce for a startup bus.? I need people to work 5pm-9am... and at this point I have an overflow of unemployed friends that all stay up late... good or bad idea to use them? Mind you they will not be making over 10/hr. Any experiences? Should I just go traditional route and place ads?

 

[help4john]

Hold your enemies close and your friends closer. You seem to be in a bit of a pickle. My fear is that if you do indeed hire some of your friends....the friendship may end. Don't get me wrong....it may very well work out...but odds are against it. There must be a reason why you have so many unemployed friends.

What type of business?

 

[Mr.X]

so... have any of you guys tried using existing friends for employees when developing a workforce for a startup bus.? I need people to work 5pm-9am... and at this point I have an overflow of unemployed friends that all stay up late... good or bad idea to use them? Mind you they will not be making over 10/hr. Any experiences? Should I just go traditional route and place ads?

3 rules for doing business, NEVER do busines with:

1) friends
2) family
3) mob

trust me, I've done business that way and it's not a good way to go. Think of it this way, you going to have an easy time yelling/firing etc... your good friends? I doubt it.

Mr.X

 

[ZKaudio]

all good points!

 

[Madcow2]

If it's unskilled hourly 1099 work with no expectation of a permanent position I could see giving it a shot (not sure if that's the case). At least you know these guys, advertisments and interviewing take time plus you can still hire a shmoe. If one of them works out, maybe that's something to consider but playing the odds it's traditionally been a bad move and it takes a level of maturity on both sides. You mention overflow work so it might be a nice bone to throw someone in need - just set the expectations at the beginning if you do it.

 

[Crox]

As already said employing friends is a bad idea.

University students would be ideal from the sounds of it, easy to advertise for them, relativly articulate and intelligent. The more flexible you are with the work schedule the better as far as recuiting students.

 

[H_T_]

you might have to fire one of your friends one day, could you?

 

[rsnoble-im-back]

fuk NO! I promise u before it's over you WON'T have any friends left. I speak from experience-they are completely fuking worthless and will bend your rules every minute of everyday. I speak from experience--don't do it. Esp with no more hours and money that u are offering--they'll find plenty of excuses to sit at home and drink beer watching tv-without thinking twice-while your venture suffers. Fire every fuking one of them right now, before you even hire them. Trust me. 99.9% of them arte worthless. Let's put it this way, I went this route and now am no longer friends with any of them, may they rot in hell.

 

[Razorguns]

Think of it this way...

There's probably a _reason_ why they're "unemployed".

When you're a startup, albiet free labour sounds attractive -- it's only a matter of time before they get bored and bail, and you're left with the leftovers of their lacklustre productivity.

Now if it's just dumb monkey-labour like putting stuff in boxes -- go for it.

 

[ZKaudio]

it would mostly be phone answering for the hours I need them....

 

[chewyxrage]

it would mostly be phone answering for the hours I need them....

Well I would think you know each one's work ethic. I personally know a couple of my friends would work hard for me while some would be lazy and jack around.

I would hope a friend would offer me a job if I needed one...and I would never want to disappoint a good friend

 

[jerkbox]

there's friends i would hire, and ones i wouldnt....i think it's an individual judgement call.

though, i wouldn't want to have to layoff or fire one of them.

 

[Mastardo]

Better keep it part time for each. Don't make your office too comfortable. Make sure they won't be expecting any permanency or advancement opportunities.

 

[Snypr]

fuk NO! I promise u before it's over you WON'T have any friends left. I speak from experience-they are completely fuking worthless and will bend your rules every minute of everyday. I speak from experience--don't do it. Esp with no more hours and money that u are offering--they'll find plenty of excuses to sit at home and drink beer watching tv-without thinking twice-while your venture suffers. Fire every fuking one of them right now, before you even hire them. Trust me. 99.9% of them arte worthless. Let's put it this way, I went this route and now am no longer friends with any of them, may they rot in hell.

I co-sign the above. I've been on both sides of this, and it just doesn't work out the way you would hope it to(for either side, usually).
Of course there are exceptions. You probably know one or two people who you have personally witnessed handling their affairs in a mature way.
But for the most part, so-called friends turn into something completely different when money is involved.

 

[BIGPAPA511]

so... have any of you guys tried using existing friends for employees when developing a workforce for a startup bus.? I need people to work 5pm-9am... and at this point I have an overflow of unemployed friends that all stay up late... good or bad idea to use them? Mind you they will not be making over 10/hr. Any experiences? Should I just go traditional route and place ads?

I have owned a number of businesses from lawn care to a painting and drywall company, rough carpentry business,insurance restoration and a bar and restaurant I would not hire any of my friends or family even though I have a great family and all my friends I have know for my whole life I still would not hire any of them. Business with family and friends do not and will not ever work. I will give you an example my sister was trying to sell her house and her and my mom wanted to landscape her house so she could sell it faster I owned a landscapeing company at the time I told her that I did not have time to do it. #1 I would rather make ten grand doing a job for someone then to help someone out for free and in the end the job the free one is the biggest headache anyway. I still got her a discount on the material and plants. I know I seem like a dick but family is family and friends are friends but business is always business never do business with friends or family and you will go far. And remember it does not matter what you do to get there the only people that are going to say anything is the people that are not where you are. Nice guys finish last in business trust me.

 

[manny78]

3 rules for doing business, NEVER do busines with:

1) friends
2) family
3) mob

trust me, I've done business that way and it's not a good way to go. Think of it this way, you going to have an easy time yelling/firing etc... your good friends? I doubt it.

Mr.X

In fact, I'd do business with mob way before friends. At least you know the mob's interest but friends ? That's always the big question and that's why in most cases it turns nasty...