what happens when your family and friends see your commission check

competing against your own family

[stinky]

From what i have seen in other families and from what everybody tells me, never work with family because money always causes problems between people.
My situation is that my siblings got a look at my commission check and are now starting to build web sites to compete with me directly on the same topics. They are willing to sign up under me as an affiliate if i help them out, but i know that they just want to try and catch on to what i do. We have a good relationship now, but i am worried that we will be to competative with each other and when they start makeing money the greed will destroy our relationship.
Any advice? Anybody working with their family doing affiliate stuff? Does your family/siblings know what you make?

[hannamyluv]

I have brother who is trying his hand at this stuff, but I don't think he's a problem. He wouldn't listen to me if I told him I would personally garuntee the money it would make. lol

I do have a few friends that do this stuff. I actually showed most of them how. Only one at the moment is doing anything that I would say is worthwhile. most of the others tire of it after a few weeks. But she stuck to it.

That little tangent was the first point. Affiliate stuff does require disapline up front. Sites do not build themselves (unless you have a good script and even then someone has to build the script ;) ). You may find that this whole thing is a moot point in a month or so.

That being said, I would sit down with your siblings now and explain just how many possibilities are out there. Niches within niches. Form a non-compete agreement. Tell them flat out that you have cornered this area and that they would make more money if they cornered a new area. It's the truth. You know you are good and they are behind in the learning curve. While they are getting their bearings, you will be breaking new ground. But if they take what they know to a different area, well, they don't have you to compete with and that makes it all the easier for them.

Maybe you have a few ideas that you just have not been able to develop. Pass them off to them. Perfect way to ease them out of your space. Tell them it's a great idea and you think you could make money off it, but you just don't have the time. If you are like me, this is true. You win, they win and everybody is happy.

[Sarah Atkinson]

What aboult working with them on the same site. I've allways thought that the sites I made with others turned out the best. I like having somone to bounce ideas off of.

[MrMacphisto]

Wish them luck, but refuse to engage them when it comes to 'business'.
Family is irreplacable.

[Essex_boy]

Thats not on, your brothers and sisters indeed your family shouldnt be competing against you.

You must make that clear to them.

Offer them help with other areas aff marketing providing they dont compete.... Im sure theyll see sense.

[suzyvirtual]

I have sat down with friends and told them exactly what to do, all my "secrets" and everything. Some have tried, none have suceeded. Maybe your gene pool is really well suited for the task, but chances are they will lose interest shortly. If they don't, consider it a good motivator to research, learn, expand and gain an edge!

[stinky]

Working with family as a team on a site might be fun and brain storming ideas will be better, but when you start getting fat commission checks and each sibling has picked up seo skills then greed gets in the picture and nobody wants to share. Next thing you know everybody ends up starting their own sites and not talking because they can do it themselves. That really makes things personal because you know your competitors website is your family.

Regarding my first posting, my siblings agreed to go into a different niche but what they really want is to work along side me and build a new site together so they can learn my skills and they will share any skills that they learn on their own. I know my competitors search my web site looking for things and techniques I am using, but it feels very weird when your siblings tell you they are breaking down your site and then they start informing you of all the different techniques that they see you are using. I even offered to pay them monthly just to do some basic paper work and research topics for me but they said they are more interested in working along side and learning.

Thanks everybody for sharing your opinions and experiences.

[gopi]

There may be exceptions but normally in most situations family and business dont mix!