Family Business vs. Non-Family Business: What’s the Difference?

family business vs non family business

On your search for the perfect floor mat for your commercial business, you may run across the issue of whether to go with a non-family owned mat company or to get your mats from a family-run mat company.

We’re here to crack the code and tell you what matters when it comes to deciding to get your mats from a family business vs non-family business.

Issues in Non-Family Businesses

First, we’ll cover what you may find when working with some non-family-run businesses. While we of course can’t speak for all companies, there is a tendency in businesses that do not function on family values to have more of a distanced culture.

1. It’s all just business.

This stems from the fact that in corporate businesses, the focus tends to be more on making money through whatever means necessary as opposed to running a business based on core values and a desire to help others. Even if the business was started for this purpose, as CEOs change and the company grows and hires more individuals, these values can shift.

2. The focus is primarily on short-term gains.

As time progresses, it is inevitable in any company that the CEO and employees are going to change. In a family-run business though, as positions change and the business is kept within the family, the core values and focus doesn’t change. Allowing the company to live on is important. But with a non-family-run business, the CEO and employees may just be focused on short-term goals for the duration of their employment, and not necessarily on setting the company up for success after they are gone.

3. Employees may not have as much motivation, creating a weak company culture.

When someone starts working for a non-family-run business, it is very possible that they’re in it for their passion for whatever the business is selling. But it is also very likely that they are simply working there because they need the money. Therefore, not every employee may have determination in making the business successful and having a positive impact on customers. They may just be there to cash a paycheck.

Pros in Family Businesses

But let’s not just focus on the negatives. We are, after all, a family-run business! Here are the pros you’ll often find with family-owned businesses and what you will find with us:

1. Family businesses have their own personal touch.

When a family business is founded, it starts with a set of values that come straight from the family itself. Then as the business grows, while ideas and innovations may change, those values are always instilled in that business. What this means is when you interact with our company, you’ll receive customer service that actually cares about you as a customer and how our services genuinely can benefit you. It won’t feel like a dry or pushy sale. It’ll feel like you’re talking to a friend.

2. Succession puts a focus on long-term plans.

With a family business, the focus is less on the individual him/herself that is running the business and more so on making sure this business stays around and is structurally sound for when the next family member takes over. This ensures financial stability for family members to come, as well as keeping the hard work of past family members alive, even if they are no longer running the business.

3. Our devotion to the business creates a powerful and financially sound culture.

Because of these values and this focus on continuous growth, this holds our family members and team accountable to do well and provide excellent services that our customers see value in. Therefore, our family and friends of the company work hard, but still have fun working with those they love. And that allows us to provide the quality of mat services that we do today and stay around for years to come.

That’s why you should work with a family-run business like NorthStar Mat Service. With us, you get to work with a company that values integrity, goals, organization, motivation, awareness, teamwork and service.

So if you’re in need of high-quality floor mats, call us today at 1-800-994-9797 or fill out our online form and you’ll get a service that will feel like family every step of the way.