PiscesPassion
New member
Ok... a few years back, my brother had a really good business idea. It was ideal because I knew quite a few people (business owners on a personal level) in the "exact" subcategory of the industry we would target. I would sign up the clients and he would build/manage the website. He is a web designer/builder/developer... however, I'm not a salesperson! I feel very strongly about this, too, to the point where I will stop an interview in progress to make it clear that I do not and will not "sell"... anything. But maybe because I knew so many potential clients, I was willing to give it a try since it would literally be a breeze.
Well... for approximately 7 years now, I've done everything from discussing the business with the potentials I "know", to traveling to meet with potentials in other cities and even other states, to finally building a website "myself" by learning HTML (back in the days), to revising my website via templates, In other words, I've put alot of work into trying to get this business going... however, unfortunately there have been "numerous" obstacles each & every time I'm ready to launch it!
I have always asked my brother to join in, since it was after all "his idea" to begin with! (Not to mention the fact that he said he'd handle the website end of it in the first place!) But he's been so caught up with relationship problems, financial problems, emotional problems, etc... which is why I ultimately tried building a site myself, and which is also why there have been time lapses in between each attempt.
Anyhow... this last attempt, I went as far as getting a salesperson... a good friend of mine whom I know could really use some extra money, and whom I happen to think is the perfect candidate for this position! She too knows alot of business owners, and maybe even more than I, since she is a singer and is sometimes hired to sing at special events. I thought about it "alot" before I even brought it up to her. And when I did, she was flabbergasted... and excited... and motivated. Oh, and by the time I made her the offer, I already had (again) the domain name and hosting plan for a whole year, the website, some flyers, and even a business bank account.
It was then that my brother (who was in a financial hardship again) decided he wanted "in". JUST as my friend and I were ready to hit the streets with our promotional offers, he steps in and changes "everything"... about my site, the flyers, even the company colors and logo, which I felt so strongly about. I've also had to invest "more money" that I really didn't have anymore. THEN, "we" had to go out on the field because my salesperson landed a gig (she's a painter) while "waiting" for my brother to finish the changes he was making. And although we did begin to have success, the problem is now this...
Now my brother is starting to argue (so-to-speak) the money and commission aspects of the business. I hold a steady job and a household, amongst other things... and my brother, who has nothing, is hammering me about money issues. When he hasn't actually "closed" a sale yet. And it's obvious he doesn't "want to" until we come to some sort of agreement as to "how much" money or even "why" I should receive out of each sale. Because he's been bickering for the past few days, I'm now at a point where I could give a rat's @ss about the money. My mother is hounding me because my brother borrows her car "for business purposes", yet he hasn't made a sale yet, and she needs her car, not to mention she's the one who ends up paying for his gas. I'm on her side. My brother just needs to get crackin'.
I'm wondering if I should just let him take over the business, but take my name out of it. If he succeeds, good for him... if he doesn't, at least I'm not dealing with any added stress. He can just give me whatever I've invested so far. Because he wants me to add his name to the business account, and I'm not doing that! His credibility isn't the greatest with me right now! Based on the fact that I have my job and alot of things on my plate right now, if this business isn't going to run the way "I built it to", then I'm not going to fight over it... much less fight over money... especially with a family member. I don't have time, nor the scruples for that.
Should I "sell it" to him? Or just let him "have it"? I wouldn't know how much to ask for, but I do know this... the domain name I purchased "is a good one"!!! I could easily just sell that and be done with the whole idea! I also had a business analyst check out the business idea and was told it was an excellent one... as well as unique. But again, if this is what it's com
Well... for approximately 7 years now, I've done everything from discussing the business with the potentials I "know", to traveling to meet with potentials in other cities and even other states, to finally building a website "myself" by learning HTML (back in the days), to revising my website via templates, In other words, I've put alot of work into trying to get this business going... however, unfortunately there have been "numerous" obstacles each & every time I'm ready to launch it!
I have always asked my brother to join in, since it was after all "his idea" to begin with! (Not to mention the fact that he said he'd handle the website end of it in the first place!) But he's been so caught up with relationship problems, financial problems, emotional problems, etc... which is why I ultimately tried building a site myself, and which is also why there have been time lapses in between each attempt.
Anyhow... this last attempt, I went as far as getting a salesperson... a good friend of mine whom I know could really use some extra money, and whom I happen to think is the perfect candidate for this position! She too knows alot of business owners, and maybe even more than I, since she is a singer and is sometimes hired to sing at special events. I thought about it "alot" before I even brought it up to her. And when I did, she was flabbergasted... and excited... and motivated. Oh, and by the time I made her the offer, I already had (again) the domain name and hosting plan for a whole year, the website, some flyers, and even a business bank account.
It was then that my brother (who was in a financial hardship again) decided he wanted "in". JUST as my friend and I were ready to hit the streets with our promotional offers, he steps in and changes "everything"... about my site, the flyers, even the company colors and logo, which I felt so strongly about. I've also had to invest "more money" that I really didn't have anymore. THEN, "we" had to go out on the field because my salesperson landed a gig (she's a painter) while "waiting" for my brother to finish the changes he was making. And although we did begin to have success, the problem is now this...
Now my brother is starting to argue (so-to-speak) the money and commission aspects of the business. I hold a steady job and a household, amongst other things... and my brother, who has nothing, is hammering me about money issues. When he hasn't actually "closed" a sale yet. And it's obvious he doesn't "want to" until we come to some sort of agreement as to "how much" money or even "why" I should receive out of each sale. Because he's been bickering for the past few days, I'm now at a point where I could give a rat's @ss about the money. My mother is hounding me because my brother borrows her car "for business purposes", yet he hasn't made a sale yet, and she needs her car, not to mention she's the one who ends up paying for his gas. I'm on her side. My brother just needs to get crackin'.
I'm wondering if I should just let him take over the business, but take my name out of it. If he succeeds, good for him... if he doesn't, at least I'm not dealing with any added stress. He can just give me whatever I've invested so far. Because he wants me to add his name to the business account, and I'm not doing that! His credibility isn't the greatest with me right now! Based on the fact that I have my job and alot of things on my plate right now, if this business isn't going to run the way "I built it to", then I'm not going to fight over it... much less fight over money... especially with a family member. I don't have time, nor the scruples for that.
Should I "sell it" to him? Or just let him "have it"? I wouldn't know how much to ask for, but I do know this... the domain name I purchased "is a good one"!!! I could easily just sell that and be done with the whole idea! I also had a business analyst check out the business idea and was told it was an excellent one... as well as unique. But again, if this is what it's com