There is often more than one right answer, and this seems to be particularly true for the question of whether folks should lean on family and friends for support with the brands. Your circumstances, relationships and other factors can determine what’s right for you – but we wanted to get a conversation going on the topic as it’s something that comes up often in our chats with entrepreneurs and creatives in the community.

Susie Macmillan

This feels like it could be a slippery slope. I’m sure we all have had the friends who start selling goods/services for a product that rewards connections – so you get bombarded with messages about the product and joining an event and and and. When I started my business, I tried to be acutely aware of this scenario when reaching out to let people know I was starting a business. It’s due to the support and love of my friends and family that this business was born and still going today. My approach was to announce my plan of starting my business and announce the date I was going live. To my surprise and delight, that first live sale my friends and framily really showed up and supported me. I think their support gave me the confidence I needed to act on this wild idea I had about selling crystals and crystal jewelry. Once that initial live sale happened and I officially started my business and created a business page (via Instagram), I kept the business and personal accounts/posts separate. That felt like the right balance of asking for support and then if they really wanted to follow me and support my business, they could but I wasn’t going to flood my personal page with every business detail/sale (that felt like too much for me). Read more>>

Lesley Lewis

I think that depending on or expecting family and friends to support your small business is something that most business owners do at the start of their entrepreneurial journey. It takes time and maturing as a business owner to realize and understand that it is strangers who will support your business and help it to grow. Although, when I first started my cleaning business, I do feel like my community really backed and supported me but there is only so much support that you can expect from the people you know. I think it is eye opening and sometimes very hurtful when the ones you surround yourself with the most don’t support you. Read more>>

Monique Griffin

Asking friends and family to support your business can be a nuanced topic. Personally, I believe it’s appropriate to let them know about your business and provide opportunities for support—whether that’s through word of mouth, attending events, or even making purchases. However, it’s also important to respect their boundaries and avoid making them feel obligated. I draw the line at pressuring them to invest their money or time. While their support is meaningful, I prefer their involvement to come from genuine enthusiasm rather than a sense of duty. A good way to approach this is by simply sharing your passion for your work and inviting them to be part of your journey without any expectations. Read more>>

James Elems

As a business owner it would be awesome if all your friends and family supported your business, but that is not always the case. Support can come in many forms but the audience that usually supports you the most may be people you don’t know. I personally believe support does not always equate to purchasing something. We currently live in a time where social media and marketing can be a very vital part to keeping your business afloat. I don’t think it’s too much to ask for family and friends to tell 1 or 2 people about a small business for a friend or relative. Family and friends do not hesitate to ask for discounts or free products/services, so asking for any type of support should not be a hard ask. I am a very generous person but I do draw the line at entitlement. Anything worth having in life has to be earned.  Read more>>

Steffy Gonzalez

I think there’s a fine line between pushy and helpful. I have plenty of friends and family who support my business by ordering candles through my Etsy shop or through custom orders for events. Not everyone can do that! Not everyone even LIKES candles. And they don’t have to start liking them or spending more money just because I decided to start making them. So they help in other ways. Sharing my posts on social media, telling people about my business, etc. I’ve rarely, if ever, explicitly asked family and friends to do anything related to my business when it comes to purchasing or interacting… a lot of them just want to!  Read more>>

Esperanza Zavala-liles

It’s perfectly fine to ask for support, but it’s important to be clear about your intentions. For example, you might ask for referrals or let your friends and family know that you’re now a realtor and available to help with their real estate needs. The key is to ensure that the approach is friendly and non-pushy, and that you’re offering value—not just asking for business. I think it’s also great to have an open conversation about what you do. Share information about the real estate market and trends in a way that’s educational, not salesy. This positions you as a resource, rather than just someone asking for their business. Read more>>

Madeline Hatch

I have learned first hand this year how sometimes this is the best and only way to grow your business. I dedicated a year to “Get Crockett in the best Shape this Year” and not even a year later, I have gained so much more confidence in myself in being able to offer something and test out the market whether my services were needed or not. It’s definitely taken me down a path of life that’s very focused on changing lives for the better. It wasn’t hard to ask the people here in my town. To be fully transparent, I was scared at first. Scared to ask people in person whether they would be interested in a strength training class that I had never done in group setting up until that point, only 1:1.  Read more>>