Should you hire family or friends for your business?

In my entrepreneurship class I teach I always ask the question to my students would you hire friends or family to work with you. I normally get a big NO from them as they say they love them but they are not cut out for working with them. But I also pose the question who would you trust more with your business a stranger or a friend of 25 years. It’s a tough call. I have learned over the years what friends I can trust to work with my companies. Typically I worked with them at another company and got a chance to see their work ethic and how they worked and over the years I have been very selective but I have hired friends. The second part of this is how do you deal with friends or family when they are not cutting it, not doing a good job, or flaking on responsibilities they agreed to? Once again its tough how you balance the friendship /you are the boss and need to make money aspect as well. Well I have learned as well over the years how to walk the thin line. If the family and friends you have respect you then when you talk with them about what you need from them the result can come out good but yes there is some that won’t take it well and that’s where you may have your issues. I was very careful for my first 10 years I did not hire any family or friends for this concern.  No matter what you do you will always take a risk because with family and friends you can’t say it’s not personal it’s just business.  I work well with my husband in my business I own but something we do is we let each of us be good at what we are good at. I don’t go and tell him how to do his job and visa versa. Yes sometimes we bump heads on something or get on each other for doing something wrong but we also respect each other and what we do and that goes a long way. So should you hire family or friends? You know best who you can work with. If you have any doubts then I say just wait.  If you feel they are competent and can handle you getting on their case when needed to make your business a better business then go for it.