Starting Out Sales Mgt. It's no secret that in-laws working in the family business can be a pain. They may stir up trouble if they're dissatisfied with their working conditions or pay. Or they may become defensive if they think their spouse or other relatives are being treated unfairly. Fearing these negative scenarios, many family business owners are reluctant to hire in-laws.
Statistics show another reason to be wary of letting in-laws in.
As upsetting as divorce may be personally, it can also threaten the underpinnings of a family business. By fostering solid relationships with in-laws, you may be able to prevent problems, or at least help prepare yourself and your staff for the future should problems occur. Mandel is now director of the Center for Entrepreneurship at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. But until 1992, he was the head of a retail business started by Solnick's family. Before joining the company, he'd worked for a major consulting firm but had no retailing experience.