--- title: The importance of Having a Plan When Including Family in Business description: In this article Jolene Brown, a family business consultant points to four major mistakes when breaking down a family business. 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[Hospitality, Restaurants, and Retail](https://scottandco.com/industries/retail) - [Manufacturing and Distribution](https://scottandco.com/industries/manufacturing) - [Medical](https://scottandco.com/industries/medical) - [Nonprofit](https://scottandco.com/industries/non-profit) - [Professional and Business Services](https://scottandco.com/industries/professional-services) - [Real Estate](https://scottandco.com/industries/real-estate) - [Insights](https://scottandco.com/blog) - [Careers](https://scottandco.com/careers) 1 min read # The importance of Having a Plan When Including Family in Business [Admin](https://scottandco.com/blog/author/admin) Dec 17, 2021, 12:00:00 AM [Blog](https://scottandco.com/blog/tag/blog) ![The importance of Having a Plan When Including Family in Business](https://scottandco.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/AdobeStock_142598305_Resized-2.jpg) In this article Jolene Brown, a family business consultant points to four major mistakes when breaking down a family business. She firstly points out that assuming all genetic relationships equal good working relationships is wrong. Brown says “acceptance in a family should be unconditional, but acceptance into a business should be conditional and is not a birthright.” Her second suggestion is to stop believing that the business can financially support any and all family members who want to work together. Brown suggests checking your business’s financial ratios to see if you are financially capable of paying them. Brown’s third tip is to stop assuming others should change, but not themselves. Her final tip is to avoid presuming a conversation is a contract. Brown mentions how if the contract is verbal then it does not count until it is written on ink. To view this article, [click HERE to access the original content](https://www.agriculture.com/news/business/the-people-inside-of-agriculture-jolene-brown-talks-family-business). - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) ![Scott Logo with Tagline - FINAL-ReversedText](https://scottandco.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Scott%20Logo%20with%20Tagline%20-%20FINAL-ReversedText.png?width=300&height=92&name=Scott%20Logo%20with%20Tagline%20-%20FINAL-ReversedText.png)   ##### Quick Links Quick Links - [About](https://scottandco.com/about) - [Services](https://scottandco.com/services) - [Industries](https://scottandco.com/industries) - [Insights](https://scottandco.com/blog) - [Careers](https://scottandco.com/careers) ![SCBIZ BPTW logo 2026](https://scottandco.com/hs-fs/hubfs/SCBIZ%20BPTW%20logo%202026.png?width=150&height=158&name=SCBIZ%20BPTW%20logo%202026.png) Proud to be named a South Carolina 2026 Best Places to Work—our 12th year on this prestigious list. 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