A business can be rebuilt but, a close friendship may not have the same possibility and can be lost forever. To protect your friendships there are some things you should not do with friends, especially ones you have considered thus far as very good.
Some things not to do with friends are
Hire them For a Job
Having friends that do certain things that you are not good at is a great plus and can save time and mybe money. However, knowing them as a friend that is qualified in a certain thing, supplies or sells the product you seek is one thing but, do you have an idea of how good they are, how fast they work or supply the product and more importantly how much they charge?
If you have not been present or seen them at work, it means that you have no idea of their competency and this very friendship can become an impediment. Especially if it transpires that they are too slow, are charging more than the going rate, have supplied you with sub-standard goods and worse, they are not as good at the work as they said they were and you may have to re-do it.
Think carefully and do to them what you would do for any other hire before hiring them. Check their credentials, see samples of their work and hold them to a time-line, price point and sign a contract.
Go Into Business With
You have been friends for a very long time but, sometimes this friendship may not translate well when it comes to doing business. Being in a social setting is very different from being in a business setting and the habits you like about them as a friend may aggravate you as a business partner.
They may be impulsive, you may be someone that thinks and thinks things through. They may be a good time keeper but, take long to get the actual work done. They maybe good with people but spend time discussing things other than the business at hand and are poor at closing a deal.
Be very sure before you go into business with a friend and make sure that they will hold their part of the arrangement, do their fair share and do it well. Otherwise, save your friendship and do not go into business with them.
