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.

Leslie Barrera

To me having my family and friends support means a lot. Since starting Eterna Primavera, my flower arrangement business, they have been supporting me and encouraging me. My parents are the ones who ask if I need help in any shape or form and when I am done with an arrangement they are the first ones to complement it. My friends are always recommending my work to others. Read more>>

Beth Mensing

Asking friends and family to help support your business can be uncomfortable. They have already bought countless pints of ice cream. They have been cheering you on since you started. Some of them have even helped you make and sell your products at events. When I embarked on the journey to open a brick and mortar, I knew that I would potentially need to ask for support. I was very set on handling all the hard business stuff by myself. I trudged through business plans, projections, and meetings with banks without asking for help. I finally started opening up and sharing with people around me and their response was always “how can I help?” I called upon one friend to talk about how they started their first restaurant. Read more>>

Jalen D.

I don’t feel as though my friends or family should support my content, as they are not my target audience. If I’m being honest, I’ve blocked most of my immediate family- I don’t (and wouldn’t) consciously give them the expectation of having to interact with my content however I do think having them on my socials would add another level of pressure. Read more>>