Although marketing gurus suggest to avoid doing business with friends, as it’s the easiest way to end a friendship, thousands of partnerships are created and run by friends.

25% of all European Small & Medium Enterprises are based in Italy, and despite what gurus say, most of them are friend run. Or better most of them are family run businesses. Take Barilla for example (a food company), who received the 9th annual “IMD – Family Business Award,” joining names like Lego, Henkel and  Zegna. Seems that family run businesses are more successful than friend run ones.

Maybe we should consider the following exception to the gurus advice: don’t start a business with a friend,  unless you’re planning to marry him/her.