Family Businesses

[kimpossible]

What are the ups and downs?

[kasia]

great topic! i never got to do it--but i always wanted to as a teenager b/c i'd get to sit at the counter and check out all the cute guys who'd come in. but i've heard from friends that's it not that fun at all.

[deez nuts]

Helped out my mom and dad out when they owned a stationery store. My old man is a slave driver, slaving me to death. So, no, there is no way I would be going into business with him.

[angel nympho]

Good things:
Getting paid under the table.
Knowing that no matter what you do, you won't get fired. :)

Bad Things:
KNowing that no matter what you do, you can't get fired. :(

[Ayers]

Worked for my dad at the pharmacy...

-was cool to learn about Vicodin, Viagra, and Ritalin
-wasn't cool working 70hr/wk during my summer 'breaks'
-was cool when he finally got a cable modem
-wasn't cool mopping the floor, and missing opportunities to hang out with friends

Overall a good learning experience, but my dad doesn't know how to run a business.. so he works harder not smarter :(

oh and, kasia, it seems like no cute chicks (or guys for that matter) walk into this pharmacy...

[tapestrybabe]

When i was a little kid.. my father use to own a Carvel ice cream store in Ithaca, NY. Man, that was a whole helluva lot of fun for me. i wuz a little kid tho, so mostly i played around in the back with my toys... and watch my mother decorate the cakes... and my father use to make cake deliveries. And he once delivered this cake to this woman named Dian Fossey-- she studied gorillas... and there was a movie that was actually made about her... Gorillas in the Mist (http://movies.yahoo.com/shop?d=hv&cf=info&id=1800072024&intl=us)...

this isn't really my experience working for my family owned business.. but i just wanted to share that my father use to own a Carvel ice cream store....



<!--EDIT|tapestrybabe|Sep 25 2002, 06:24 AM-->

[SunWuKong]

Originally posted by tapestrybabe@Sep 25 2002, 06:08 AM
When i was a little kid.. my father use to own a Carvel ice cream store in Ithaca, NY. Man, that was a whole helluva lot of fun for me. i wuz a little kid tho, so mostly i played around in the back with my toys... and watch my mother decorate the cakes... and my father use to make cake deliveries. And he once delivered this cake to this woman named Dian Fossey-- she studied gorillas... and there was a movie that was actually made about her... Gorillas in the Mist (http://movies.yahoo.com/shop?d=hv&cf=info&id=1800072024&intl=us)...

this isn't really my experience working for my family owned business.. but i just wanted to share that my father use to own a Carvel ice cream store....
she was studying gorillas in louisiana?

[tapestrybabe]

Originally posted by SunWuKung@Sep 25 2002, 11:47 AM
Originally posted by tapestrybabe@Sep 25 2002, 06:08 AM
When i was a little kid.. my father use to own a Carvel ice cream store in Ithaca, NY. Man, that was a whole helluva lot of fun for me. i wuz a little kid tho, so mostly i played around in the back with my toys... and watch my mother decorate the cakes... and my father use to make cake deliveries. And he once delivered this cake to this woman named Dian Fossey-- she studied gorillas... and there was a movie that was actually made about her... Gorillas in the Mist (http://movies.yahoo.com/shop?d=hv&cf=info&id=1800072024&intl=us)...

this isn't really my experience working for my family owned business.. but i just wanted to share that my father use to own a Carvel ice cream store....
she was studying gorillas in louisiana?
Was she once a Louisansa resident?? i know that she did a lot of her studies in Africa and what not... But at the time my dad delivered an ice cream cake to her... she was residing in UpState, NY....

[SunWuKong]

Originally posted by tapestrybabe@Sep 25 2002, 12:19 PM
Originally posted by SunWuKung@Sep 25 2002, 11:47 AM
Originally posted by tapestrybabe@Sep 25 2002, 06:08 AM
When i was a little kid.. my father use to own a Carvel ice cream store in Ithaca, NY. Man, that was a whole helluva lot of fun for me. i wuz a little kid tho, so mostly i played around in the back with my toys... and watch my mother decorate the cakes... and my father use to make cake deliveries. And he once delivered this cake to this woman named Dian Fossey-- she studied gorillas... and there was a movie that was actually made about her... Gorillas in the Mist (http://movies.yahoo.com/shop?d=hv&cf=info&id=1800072024&intl=us)...

this isn't really my experience working for my family owned business.. but i just wanted to share that my father use to own a Carvel ice cream store....
she was studying gorillas in louisiana?
Was she once a Louisansa resident?? i know that she did a lot of her studies in Africa and what not... But at the time my dad delivered an ice cream cake to her... she was residing in UpState, NY....
oops wait... sorry... nevermind what i said...
so she was studying gorillas in upstate NY?

[tapestrybabe]

Originally posted by SunWuKung@Sep 25 2002, 12:47 PM
Originally posted by tapestrybabe@Sep 25 2002, 12:19 PM
Originally posted by SunWuKung@Sep 25 2002, 11:47 AM
Originally posted by tapestrybabe@Sep 25 2002, 06:08 AM
When i was a little kid.. my father use to own a Carvel ice cream store in Ithaca, NY. Man, that was a whole helluva lot of fun for me. i wuz a little kid tho, so mostly i played around in the back with my toys... and watch my mother decorate the cakes... and my father use to make cake deliveries. And he once delivered this cake to this woman named Dian Fossey-- she studied gorillas... and there was a movie that was actually made about her... Gorillas in the Mist (http://movies.yahoo.com/shop?d=hv&cf=info&id=1800072024&intl=us)...

this isn't really my experience working for my family owned business.. but i just wanted to share that my father use to own a Carvel ice cream store....
she was studying gorillas in louisiana?
Was she once a Louisansa resident?? i know that she did a lot of her studies in Africa and what not... But at the time my dad delivered an ice cream cake to her... she was residing in UpState, NY....
oops wait... sorry... nevermind what i said...
so she was studying gorillas in upstate NY?
I'm NOT an expert on her lifestory. I've never even seen the movie or read her book myself. I just know of her cuz she is kinda well known for her research and what not... When she did live in UpState NY for awhile... i'm not sure what she was actually doing. Maybe she was writing her book.. i dunno... Anyways, she aint alive anymore.. so i cant really ask her..

So like, all i'm trying to say is, i think its kinda neat that my dad got to meet her...

[Hanuman]

My parents owned a local resturant/bar. They spent most of their waking hours there, so I didn't see much of them growing up. It wasn't until I started working there with them that we spent any time together at all.

Pros:
*You're around your family.
*I learned how to bartend (which came in real handy when fell victim to the dot.com crash).
*Great money when you're a high-schooler.
*Great place to meet people (girls, girls, girls!!!)
*Paid off the books

Cons:
*You're around your family.
*Never work for Asian families, they are slave drivers.
*You're tied to the business, and responsible for all when you're parents aren't around.
*At the bar part, it was depressing to see my father have to deal with drunks and a$$holes.

Great experiance, especially the first day on the job. I was 15 and my father asked me if I wanted to work for him that summer. I remember seeing the waiters and bartenders making a ton of cash and thinking 'yeah, great!'

So I show up and my father hands me an apron and some gloves and tells me to start on the pots and pans.... I was the dishwasher the entire summer. I hated it, it's amazing how disgusting leftover food can be. He started me from the bottom up, the best way to learn about a business is to do it from the ground up. He taught me that access does not grant privelege. Great life lesson.....

[bluecollarjap]

never thought about that, on the first job post, i said my first and only job was as a steelworker. my grandparents owned a farm and i always helped out. never thought about it as a job working for the parents, just something that i did. working the farm is hard work. learn a lot about biology and chemistry that way. maybe thats why those are my degress.

anyway

pros, yeah the farm thing is hard but honest. if you don't work hard, you get a shitty yield.
hours of alone time in nature and and thinking about shit

cons, hmmmmmm, i kinda liked it

[luv]

Wow, most of my Asian friends had parents who owned restaurants. My best friend basically grew up at hers, I think she was like 6 years old when she started hanging out there -- working after school.

For me, my mother does custom tailoring so I've always had to translate.

Its actually really surprising how none of my friends want to keep up with the family business though even though their restaurants/bars/laundromats/farms are making tons of money. Would you like to keep up with your family business when your parents retire?

[applehead]

well, when i worked for my mom during the summer..
it was just to answer phones.. and then.. i had to interact with customers.. and then.. i had to do more and more..
and i felt like i had to get out when i had a chance before it got worse.

worse meaning before i starting running the whole business.
and then there's the guilt trips associated with not wanting to help your parents out.
but the good thing was. . i was really comfortable working for her.
i was allowed to take naps.. have my friends over.. talk on the phone.

but i would NEVER even consider taking over her business.. my mom works her ass off so i don't have to do what she does. and plus.. it's just toooo hard.
i'd rather work for someone else..

[BaiginLong]

Well I pretty much gave the low down on my old family business. Though it didn't last very long it wentn as far up the ladder as possible. Anyways... Anyone wanna share their experiences and whatnot of their own? Fell free to do lil' bit of advertising as well hehehehe :P

[SunWuKong]

thanks HH

merging...

[iris]

Originally posted by luv@Nov 25 2002, 07:48 AM
Its actually really surprising how none of my friends want to keep up with the family business though even though their restaurants/bars/laundromats/farms are making tons of money. Would you like to keep up with your family business when your parents retire?
No. My parents scrapped enough together to own a restaurant and it's slowly killing them. I started working there when I was 12. I could count so I worked as a cashier and sometimes cook. When I was 14, and legal to work (you can work at 14 in a family owned place), I become a waitress, cook, bartender, cashier, hostess, cleaning lady, garbage woman all in one, 3 times a week and every weekend. I did it all without complaining because even though my parents own the place, my mom still scrubs the bathroom toilets and my dad will throw on an apron and wash the dishes. Humble beginnings to humble end. I didn't get paid and I really didn't expect to. After all, what's theirs is mine anyways. But I did get to keep tips.

I never ever want to work in food industry again. My parents don't want to see me or any of my siblings take over their place either. They know it's back-breaking, 15 hour a day work and the reason they worked so hard is so that the kids can have a better future. The one thing they ask of any of us kids is to succeed in life. I'm not going to disappoint them on that. Law school in 2003.

[Hanuman]

Iris I feel the same way. I could never do what they did. The inhuman hours, the never ending work, I mean they were like machines. I didn't see my folks too much growing up, unless it was the times I was there at work too. I don't think I'd want the same for my kids. My father eventually had to call it quits, and that was the end of our family business. Those were some tough times. Thanks but no thanks. Once in my lifetime was enough.

[iris]

Originally posted by Tawee@Jan 18 2003, 07:33 PM
Iris I feel the same way. I could never do what they did. The inhuman hours, the never ending work, I mean they were like machines. I didn't see my folks too much growing up, unless it was the times I was there at work too. I don't think I'd want the same for my kids. My father eventually had to call it quits, and that was the end of our family business. Those were some tough times. Thanks but no thanks. Once in my lifetime was enough.
Seriously, I think I am so weak compared to them. They didn't even know English when they first came over. It blows me away how far they've come. I went back to Taiwan this year and saw my parent's old place. Talk about one-room, tin shack places. I feel truly blessed to have the life I have now and I'll never take it for granted because I remember where I come from. That's why I bust my ass now.

I have so much admiration for them. They work 7 days a week and 15 hour days. I want to be able to let them retire in a couple years without worrying about us kids. I don't think I could have survived in a foreign land with no education and no knowledge of the language. It's all about survival.

[wylin]

u mean the mafia? yah my family and i are part of a secret ideological organization called ACROSS.

[AltimaGTR]

LOL Wylin! yeah and I'm a Daitenjin Ranger that works for tha city :P

But seriously speaking, my parents never had a family-owned business, but I work at my uncle's restaurant. I do everything but bartending and cooking over there; apparently they are going to train me as an assistant manager so they can take breaks whenever they want to -_-. Oh well, I'm in it for the experience.