Working with a Family Business Partner: Transitioning a Business

Peter Drucker once said, “There is no success without a successor.”

So many businesses don’t have a successor, but it’s arguably one of the most important things any business leader can plan. I am blessed to say that my son, Jeremy, is more than just a successor. He is a faithful, qualified, and committed business partner at Desert Star Construction (DSC), and the two of us have been on a healthy journey of leading together.

DSC was born out of the carpentry business started when I partnered with my dad at 19 years old. Instead of competing with each other, we completed each other. Having the right person as a business partner made all the difference. We worked long hours and remained focused on doing our best daily. This small carpentry business grew into a general contracting business that builds large estate homes for the wealthiest people in the world.

Since DSC has been a family business for three generations, I often hear the question, “How can you navigate a family and business relationship without problems?”

Regardless of the size of your business, it’s possible to work well with a family business partner if you prioritize clear communication and a humble, Christ-like relationship. Here’s what I’ve learned over the years.

My Four Core Values for Working with a Family Business Partner

I believe that trust, communication, desire, and humility are everything when looking for the right business partner (family business partner or not) and are the main components that have led to the success of our partnership.

1. Trust Trust must be the foundation of any partnership, especially when it comes to business partnerships with your family members.

Ultimately, trust has been at the foundation of our relationship. I had to trust Jeremy enough to believe he was the right business partner. I also had to trust him enough to let go of control and continue passing him responsibilities in our business. At one point, I had to get four surgeries around the same time, resulting in a three-month recovery period. Because of the trust that Jeremy had earned, he fearlessly led the entire time I was away. When I heard about how well the projects were going and how the team was on top of all of their projects, I recognized that my stepping away allowed Jeremy to lead more confidently.

Since then, I’ve set a clearly-stated boundary of trust. I know I don’t need to be a part of every team meeting but only part of the meetings where I can add value. It’s important to me that both Jeremy and the team know that I trust Jeremy enough to lead. We regularly talk about healthy boundaries and which meetings I should and shouldn’t be a part of.

2. Communication We’ve prioritized hard, uncomfortable conversations since the beginning of our family business partnership.

Before my son and I ever began to lead together, we charted a plan for what the business transition would look like. We talked through our differences, perceived nepotism, the tension of finances, and anything else that would be difficult to discuss before moving forward.

We continue to have necessary conversations through our monthly “legacy meetings,” where we only talk business, not family. These meetings have been a pivotal part of our success as family business partners because they allow us intentional time for essential training, difficult conversations, and continued succession planning. If work gets brought up during family time, we bookmark it and save it for the next “legacy” meeting.

3. Desire We work well together because both of our hearts are in it.

When looking for a business partner, especially someone in your family, make sure they share the same passion and have the skill set to do the job with excellence. We never forced Jeremy to take over; he wanted to. He pursued multiple degrees that gave him the knowledge and experience he needed to work within our business and lead it to the next level.

I also think it’s essential to make sure you are choosing a family business partner you enjoy being around and having fun with. We spend so much of our time at work, it must be enjoyable.

Choose a partner or family member whose heart is in the business, and if you know you can’t have fun with them, I’d urge you to rethink your decision.

4. Humility We view our partnership as two servants coming together to serve one another.

I want Jeremy to succeed more than ever before, and I want him to avoid the speed bumps I had to face on my journey. As faithful servants, we share our inheritance and don’t ignore the team members who aren’t blood. We make a place for them.

When we recognize that this business is not ours but God’s, we show up and steward it differently. We open every legacy meeting in prayer and don’t simply delegate to people; we develop people.