“...If a friend suddenly turns out to be Neither a friend nor an enemy - and so... If you can’t tell right away whether he’s bad or good, Pull the guy to the mountains - take a risk!...” Is it possible to remain friends and business partners at the same time? The question is very ambiguous. 90 percent of people categorically claim that friendship and business are incompatible; they cite a lot of examples of how two avid friends started running a joint business and, when it came to dividing up their earnings, one cynically “dumped” the other. Was there friendship? What do you know about your friend, except that you are interested in spending time together, that you both love football, cars, fishing, and that he helped you out in a difficult situation a couple of times? Perhaps you fought together for a just cause, while still students, and shared the last 100 rubles. You have common interests, you trust each other with your deepest secrets, and even when you go on vacation together, you have a wonderful time and don’t get tired of each other . You are friends. This is a social role that lies on the horizontal plane. You are equal. And so, the decision was born to create a joint business. Naturally, the result of such a partnership will be profit. This is precisely the reason why many friends become sworn enemies. Money! It’s no secret that money is just a means to achieve our desires and goals. What are your and your friend’s goals? How will you feel when you receive your first million? Do you want power and admiration? Or will this million give you the strength to make bolder dreams come true, the mission for which you were born? Try to answer these questions right now and, perhaps, in the future it will help you maintain friendships in business. Fire, water and copper pipes. We are all familiar with the expression “go through fire, water and copper pipes” from fairy tales. What does this mean and what does the fairy-tale expression have to do with business? The fact is that “fire” and “water” only mean life shocks and physical tests of our courage, will and courage. This is exactly what you and your friend have gone through over many years. But “copper pipes” are moral tests, tests of fame and wealth. Not everyone who was able to go through the “fire” and “water” can withstand them. I saw a lot of people who changed beyond recognition in a matter of days, having received status and money, and until that moment they were considered the soul of the company, were ready to help and support in a difficult situation. But there were, on the contrary, people who were initially ambitious and cynical, so much so that it seemed that if you gave them power, everyone would stand at attention, but everything turned out differently: they became wonderful, understanding leaders, and ambition and cynicism fell from them like husks. .. No one can know for sure how a person will behave after being tested with “copper pipes,” not even himself. This is a kind of “black box”, which can only be opened by a key called “money and power”. But you can open this box slightly by imagining yourself in 5-10 years as a big businessman with a good turnover and a big company. How and who do you feel like? Do you see a friend-partner next to you, what feelings do you have for him? What plans do you have for the future? This is another list of questions, the answers to which can serve you well in your future career. If you nevertheless have a quarrel with a friend because of business, I offer several tips to improve the situation: 1) Analyze the causes of the conflict and draw objective conclusions. 2) Try to take the place of your friend during the quarrel. If you can understand the reasons for your friend's behavior that contributed to the conflict, it will become much easier to find ways to reconcile. And remember that conflicts are not always bad. Conflict with a friend over business can help you understand the true motives of your friendship and the depth of the relationship. After all, friendship based on trust and respect can survive all emotional adversities and mood swings.