What’s your view on asking friends and family to support your brand? We asked members of the community to open up and share their views on this controversial topic. Check out some highlights below.

Tony Valor

It’s a pool of mixed emotions on this one. On one hand I look forward to asking my family to support my music they’re are some that will that’s a small number. Read more>>

Jocelyn Lomahan

If you ask most real estate agents how they got their start, they would likely tell you they started by helping a family member or a friend buy or sell a home. In my early years of real estate, it was during the time when short sales were the norm and friends would come to me because they were in trouble and they felt that they could trust me with their situation. I’m sure that there may have been more friends/family in this same situation that felt more embarrassed and in turn, did not choose to have me help them during this time. Read more>>

Jesse Viray

When I started this journey the end goal was never to develop a business but rather nurture a passion for creating memories and capturing life events in a genuine authentic manner. People are drawn towards images that convey a story and I slowly realized that those type of images when captured correctly have value. Read more>>

Nicole Marsh

I feel that family and friends should be supportive of the business of a close friend or relative, especially if they’re going to purchase something similar anyway, it might as well be made or created by someone they know. In this way, people can keep small businesses afloat and minimize the growth of large corporations. Read more>>

Emilio Torres

I always refuse to ask for help unless it’s absolutely necessary , so thankfully my friends and family know this and always offer a helping hand ! But one friend closer than family has always showed up and showed out for me ! My friend more like family , Anthony “Birdie” Rendon has helped me almost every weekend of the spring and summer to help get the dream off the ground . Read more>>

Tee The Goat

A lesson I’ve learned when asking friends and family to support your business is that, it may come and it may not. Strictly having support from them will actually cripple you. You haven’t made it until most of your customers are strangers and I stand on that. Read more>>

Rukayat Egbeyemi

This is an interesting question. I believe it is reasonable to expect or ask your family and friends to support your business. In many cases, they are the people you rely on the most, and the likelihood of them knowing about the business even at its infancy stage is high; and the relationship with them is close. Read more>>

Lyndonne Payne

Asking friends and family to support your business is a no..no. I’ts really matter of if they do be grateful and if they don’t, its not really and ask. After being in any business, i’ts the stranger that’s going to patronize you almost for any reason. Over the last two years I have had people support my business not because they just love the product, because at that moment they have not yet experienced it. Read more>>

Bonisha Brown

This is a topic I love to discuss! I feel it all depends on who you ask. I think if a friend or family member has always supported you mentally or emotionally than those are the ones you want to ask. Those are the ones that will help cheer you up when you are feeling down. Push you when it’s hard to push yourself. Read more>>

Jess Wallace

As an entrepreneur, self-promotion can feel awkward at times, but it is so important. You are always going to be your biggest advocate. When in conversation, I am never shy to drop my business details or contact information when it feels right. I try to gage the way the conversation is going before I offer my services. That can be tricky at times, but I have never regretted talking about my business. Read more>>

Lakiesha Lewis

When going into business, in any industry you have to come to terms with the fact that just because they’re your friends and family, doesn’t mean they’re obligated to support you. Just like with anything in life but most importantly in business, you have to strip people of their titles and take your emotion out of it. Nothing is personal, it’s just business. Read more>>

Stacia Tate

I definitely encourage friends and family to support my business engagements/endeavors; but I REFUSE to beg them. If you support me, great, if not, that’s okay, too. You’ll definitely be cut off down the line, but that’s okay. Everyone won’t like everything you do and everyone isn’t supposed to go through every level of life with you. Read more>>