I couldn’t name all the business concepts my friends and I have dreamt up over the years. We’ve created magazines, fashion labels, creative studios and more. With our similar interests and complimentary skillsets, it’s always felt like a great idea.
Aside from the obvious drawback of struggling to actualise our dreams, hearing the horror stories about going into business with friend has put me off. They’re passed around like ghost stories: friends of friends who’ve been done dirty by people they trusted, huge family fall-outs and fights over money.
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Despite the scary stories, starting a business with someone you’re close to isn’t completely doomed. When it works, it can really work.
The upside is that you’re already clued into their quirks, habits and passions so there’s less room for guesswork. You know when to push a point and you know when to leave it. So, for some tips on how to mix work and friendship the right way, we turned to three of our favourite brands for their insights.
Kara Otter and Isabella Coleman, founders of So Familia
How did you know you’d be a good team?
Kara: Bella’s my baby cousin. She’s grown up with me dressing her and the only other person in the family who loves fashion. Most importantly, we trust each other and that’s the number one key (old Italians will tell you to trust no one but your family).
Isabella: Growing up we always had the most similar interests out of everyone in our family, like shopping, nail polish and stickers. There’s nearly a nine-year age gap between us and Kara really helped to mould these interests into a career (I was studying accounting at uni initially)! Business-wise, we’re yin and yang. I think we balance each other out.
How do you get through conflicts or disagreements?
K: Bitch about it with other family members (kidding). It eventually just comes out in the wash like sibling conflicts!
I: Usually there’s not enough time to dwell on a disagreement… one of us gives in or we have to move on to the next task. We’re both workaholics there’s never time to waste.
What’s one piece of advice you’d have for other people considering going into business together?
K: Make sure the trust is there and start small to figure out if you both share an even level of commitment and work ethic. Everyone needs to be prepared to do those hard yards.
I: Try to keep work at work and learn how to switch off. It’s a bonus being able to create something with someone so close to you, although conversations between Kara and me that don’t revolve around work are very very very rare.
Stephanie Korn and Carly Warson, co-founders of Form and Fold
How did you know you’d be a good team?
Steph: Carly and I have opposite skill sets, tasks that I’d like to avoid are the ones Carly gets off on! She’s great with numbers, analytical and has a strong sense of long-term business planning. I’m more attuned to how the brand should look, sound and feel, while being heavily involved with the customer experience.
Carly: We have a shared vision but opposing skills, so I knew we’d look at each aspect of the business through a different lens whilst striving for the same outcome. This meant we could naturally sync into the roles that suited us without stepping on each other’s toes, so there was never a question over who was in charge of what.
How do you get through conflicts or disagreements?
S: Conflicts and disagreements are never easy! The closer you are to each other, the easier it becomes to speak honestly and quickly. It’s important to trust you both have good intentions and that you are working towards the same goal.
C: Communication is everything. We’ve been in business together for almost a decade, so we know how the other one likes to receive feedback and try to approach any tough conversations honestly yet mindfully.
What’s one piece of advice you’d have for other people considering going into business together?
S: Spend time figuring out how you like to work and communicate that with your business partner. Everyone has their unique flair and it’s so helpful to understand this about each other before you start the wild ride of business together.
C: Communication is an art form and can be very different for everyone. Understanding your communication style and taking the time to learn your business partners is essential. You need to communicate effectively to ensure you’re on the same page so that your business can achieve its goals and you can enjoy going to work every day!
Anjali Stewart and Rachel Easting, founders of Twenty-Seven Names
How did you know you’d be a good team?
Anjali: Rachel is so talented – she is very much a jack of all trades and I have always wanted to share her gifts in any way possible.
Rachel: Anjali is an incredible communicator and creative dreamer, and I’ve always wanted to work with her on whatever it is we’ve been doing. Before we started our business Anj supported me through my art school years and I did the same with her fashion degree. I cut out her final collection for example. I love collaborating, it’s where I feel we both come alive creatively.
How do you get through conflicts or disagreements?
A: We spent the first five years of our business figuring out who could cope with what. We did fight a lot. But we had a very strong friendship as a foundation so we were able to be ourselves entirely, which might not have always been pretty but there is a base level of loyalty that always got us through. Now I would say if we’re not in agreement on something I try to make a really strong case with supporting spreadsheets, visuals and I’m not above a PowerPoint to really sell an idea. We also do this cool thing where we make space for the other to do things they’re passionate about and stay out of the way.
R: I agree, I think our friendship has been the real key to our success with managing to design and direct the business together. No matter what, we have each other’s best interests at heart and we’re both really good at looking at things from one another’s perspective. We never take it personally. If we disagree, when it comes down to it we both want our business to succeed so we know we both are coming from the right place.
What’s one piece of advice you’d have for other people considering going into business together?
A: Find an opposite who you love unconditionally and apply blind luck.
R: Make sure you know the person you are embarking on this thing with. It’s like having a child together, you need trust, loyalty and a deep personal investment that means you’re going to pull out all the stops for the greater good.
For more on going into business with a friend, try this.
This article What it’s really like starting a business with a friend, according to six co-founders appeared first on Fashion Journal.
2025-03-17 09:04:00
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