Weren’t we just talking about friends and family, and how lucky we are to spend time with them?

We were, and we are again!

But what if - now, just bear with me, here - but what if you were able to spend lots more time with friends and family, AND get lots more work done at the same time?

How??

Why, it all comes down to a single, simple concept: solicit your friends and family to help grow your business!

Wait, wait, wait - please don’t go!

I know it may seem hard to believe, but for the average entrepreneur a personal network offers an outstanding business resource unavailable to anyone else.

Ever watch “Flip That House” on Discovery? It’s a reality show about small business folks that buy up attention-deprived houses, and then, after making needed repairs, sell them off for a profit (typcially hefty).

It’s entertaining. Not as entertaining as Paris Hilton’s latest escapade, but still.

And for someone like me with zero handyman skills, it’s also a bit mysterious. The one thing I do understand comes at the end of each episode. That’s when they tally up how much the house cost, how much renovations cost, and earnings (pre-tax, of course).

A recent episode was about a house flipper in Vegas who took on a big project, and set an agressive deadline for himself. Sounds like the average small businessperson to me.

But the smartest thing he did on the project wasn’t the house that he bought, the ideas that he had, or the revenue that he projected. It was the team that he brought onboard to help him out: his family.

Turns out his father and two brothers all had knowledge and exeperience in construction, so instead of trying to do everything himself, he smartly tapped that labor pool.

And good thing, as they noticed many mistakes and oversights that he didn’t notice or forgot about. Essentially, they saved him many, many thousands of dollars in mistakes. All cash that would have flown right out his pocket.

If you want to do the same, you better act quick. There’s plenty of attention competition out there, with kids spending too much time on Xanga and the Army increasing the age ceiling for recruitment.

So how, again, are Friends & Family going to help your small business succeed?

1. Opinions. Those who know us best can often see things we can’t or don’t want to. Including them in business decisions and planning is the best possible way to strip away blinders that you may not even be aware you have, and that could be setting you up for failure.

2. Projects. Deliveries to make? Invoices to file? Copies to run? Look at those family members just sitting around enjoying their evening/weekend! Hey, all you’re asking is 20 minutes a few days a week for a little help. I bet you can even figure out some creative incentives. (Hint: try money or MP3 goodies).

3. Talent. Your husband the packaging expert can help get everything off to UPS. Your daughter the financial wiz can double-check the numbers. Your son the tech expert can keep your website firing on all 8 cylinders (or all 4 + keep the battery charged for you hybrid fans out there. I’m looking at you, Mr. Clinton).

You want the #1 reason to involve friends and family in your small business? Honest feedback.

You can pay for all the customer service feedback in the world, and it’s oftentimes helpful when charting a business direction or changing course.

Like, I’ll bet the execs at Dunkin’ Donuts asked around before going after Starbucks.

You think?

No one knows you better than the people you are close to, and if you ask for it, you will most definitely get honest, unfiltered opinions about what you’re doing and how they think it can be improved.

And I bet it will be waaaay easier than giving away free veggies at the local school.

Of course, it’s important to be able to accept and incorporate this feedback without taking it personally. And that can be hard to do when Uncle Charlie drives you completely up the wall all the time.

So don’t ask Uncle Charlie, and no matter what you do DO NOT SPY ON ANYONE’S PHONE RECORDS!

But ask everyone else for help. Your family and friends are smart, talented and capable, right? Of course they are, they’re yours!

Help them help you. Your business succeeds. Soon you can afford an extra lawn mower to loan to the neighbors. Everybody wins.

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