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The first giant warning sign is family running the business. The only time I've ever seen that work out well is Mattermark (nb: I don't work there, but heard i

by x0x0 10y ago

The first giant warning sign is family running the business. The only time I've ever seen that work out well is Mattermark (nb: I don't work there, but heard it's a good place). I have seen it work terribly at multiple places. The next trick is to just write all the glassdoor reviews yourself. See, eg, healthtap.

shams93 10y ago
There's a tendency I've seen with family run businesses to also have issues with executives treating the company like a piggy bank, where suddenly there is no payroll. From my experience you're more likely to be treated as a member of their dysfunctional family than a professional in some of the places I've dealt with in the past.
- randycupertino 10y ago
  Yep. Happened to me. They bought the sales guy (owner's daughter's boyfriend) a Porsche while cutting hours for the engineers. I bounced outta there before the next pay period. Last I heard they took away the 401k but are still having the company summer picnic at the owner's Polo Club. Screw that place.
a_small_island 10y ago
>See, eg, healthtap. https://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/HealthTap-Reviews-E453567.htm https://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/HealthTap-Reviews-E453567.... Wish there was something more that could be done than just saying "I'll never work for or do business with this company and their executives" when I see these clearly fake reviews.
EazyC 10y ago
lol for some reason I thought you were going to say Walmart.
cyberferret 10y ago
Having consulted to hundreds of businesses over the past 30 years, including several family businesses, I agree with you to a certain point. However a couple of the most successful businesses I have worked with have had family members in upper management too. The key takeaway for me is like any business partnership - if the direct stakeholders are all aware of their roles and responsibilities, and have a good grasp of their relative strengths and weaknesses, then it all work well. However, if there are family members in there who are just along for the free ride or are only interesting in padding their nests or building a mini empire, then it all goes pear shaped and toxic very quickly. Biggest problem I've seen with family run businesses is the generational change over. The next generation of new blood rarely want to run with the 'old way' and tend to make changes for the sake of change, and do it with little experience of how to recognise/prevent things going off the rails.

by x0x0 10y ago

shams93 10y ago

There's a tendency I've seen with family run businesses to also have issues with executives treating the company like a piggy bank, where suddenly there is no payroll. From my experience you're more likely to be treated as a member of their dysfunctional family than a professional in some of the places I've dealt with in the past.

randycupertino 10y ago
Yep. Happened to me. They bought the sales guy (owner's daughter's boyfriend) a Porsche while cutting hours for the engineers. I bounced outta there before the next pay period. Last I heard they took away the 401k but are still having the company summer picnic at the owner's Polo Club. Screw that place.

a_small_island 10y ago

>See, eg, healthtap. https://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/HealthTap-Reviews-E453567.htm https://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/HealthTap-Reviews-E453567.... Wish there was something more that could be done than just saying "I'll never work for or do business with this company and their executives" when I see these clearly fake reviews.

EazyC 10y ago

lol for some reason I thought you were going to say Walmart.

cyberferret 10y ago

Having consulted to hundreds of businesses over the past 30 years, including several family businesses, I agree with you to a certain point. However a couple of the most successful businesses I have worked with have had family members in upper management too. The key takeaway for me is like any business partnership - if the direct stakeholders are all aware of their roles and responsibilities, and have a good grasp of their relative strengths and weaknesses, then it all work well. However, if there are family members in there who are just along for the free ride or are only interesting in padding their nests or building a mini empire, then it all goes pear shaped and toxic very quickly. Biggest problem I've seen with family run businesses is the generational change over. The next generation of new blood rarely want to run with the 'old way' and tend to make changes for the sake of change, and do it with little experience of how to recognise/prevent things going off the rails.