Names have been changed to protect....somebody. Talking to George the other day, he said that he didn't want to start a business with Fred. We're all friends, but George wanted to say his decision wasn't personal.

Actually, it is. Deciding who you want to work with, and who you don't is a very personal decision to you. It's also very targeted against the people you don't want to work with. There are many reasons why you don't want to go into business with someone else. They are ALL good reasons not to go into business with someone else.

A company is hard enough to run, when everything within your control is going well. Why add a known problem to the mix? You can tell people, it's not a personal decision. However, when you're honest with yourself, it is a very personal decision. Similar to deciding who to marry, and who to have kids with. The wrong person will never become the right person.

Besides, it's easier to keep your friendship if you never hired him, rather than when you have to fire him.