Comments on: Secrets of Success for first generation family businesses http://countrylife.lehmans.com/2008/02/28/secrets-of-success-for-first-generation-family-businesses/ Your online simplicity village Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:07:56 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Galen Lehman http://countrylife.lehmans.com/2008/02/28/secrets-of-success-for-first-generation-family-businesses/comment-page-1/#comment-404 Galen Lehman Tue, 04 Mar 2008 11:25:40 +0000 http://countrylife.lehmans.com/2008/02/28/secrets-of-success-for-first-generation-family-businesses/#comment-404 Retail is definitely less physically demanding than farming. We have worked long, long hours at times, but standing behind a counter or stocking shelves is a far cry from throwing bales or shoveling manure. I also understand what you mean about privacy. I'm a very private person and I would not feel comfortable running a business that routinely required strangers to visit my home. Thanks for your post! Retail is definitely less physically demanding than farming. We have worked long, long hours at times, but standing behind a counter or stocking shelves is a far cry from throwing bales or shoveling manure.

I also understand what you mean about privacy. I’m a very private person and I would not feel comfortable running a business that routinely required strangers to visit my home.

Thanks for your post!

]]> By: suesteiner http://countrylife.lehmans.com/2008/02/28/secrets-of-success-for-first-generation-family-businesses/comment-page-1/#comment-403 suesteiner Sat, 01 Mar 2008 21:40:57 +0000 http://countrylife.lehmans.com/2008/02/28/secrets-of-success-for-first-generation-family-businesses/#comment-403 We had a family business for 12 yrs. We don't have the longevity that Lehman's has since we made the decision to not continue in that direction for a couple reasons. Our business was on the farm, first with market gardening and organic farming then a horse boarding business. Privacy became an issue because our business was also our home. Manual labor became an issue. :) We got tired of physically working so hard but to step up into hiring more employees meant higher production needs which meant needing to manage more people which meant less privacy and more hassles and not really more money. We're not sorry that we did it for 12 years but we're not sorry that we stopped either. Lots of life lessons on the farm and having your own business. Maybe if we choose one less physically demanding... We had a family business for 12 yrs. We don’t have the longevity that Lehman’s has since we made the decision to not continue in that direction for a couple reasons. Our business was on the farm, first with market gardening and organic farming then a horse boarding business. Privacy became an issue because our business was also our home. Manual labor became an issue. :) We got tired of physically working so hard but to step up into hiring more employees meant higher production needs which meant needing to manage more people which meant less privacy and more hassles and not really more money. We’re not sorry that we did it for 12 years but we’re not sorry that we stopped either. Lots of life lessons on the farm and having your own business. Maybe if we choose one less physically demanding…

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