Ending Friendship Over Professionalism Concerns in Shared Business: WIBTA?

A 28-year-old woman is about to learn that “we’ve been friends since college” does not automatically translate to “we can run a business together.” She and Emily, 27, started a small company with big hopes, but the honeymoon phase ended fast.

Now the OP is dealing with the same pattern over and over, Emily shows up late, misses deadlines, and treats the business like it’s optional. Every time OP tries to bring it up, Emily gets defensive and waves it off, and the tension is starting to mess with the business’s growth.

And the real gut punch is this, OP feels like she’s choosing between her friendship and the company’s future.

Original Post

So I'm (28F) and I've been friends with Emily (27F) since college. We've always had a great relationship, and we recently decided to start a small business together.

It started off well, but I noticed some issues with Emily's work ethic. She's often late to meetings, misses deadlines, and doesn't take our business as seriously as I do.

I've tried talking to her about it, but she gets defensive and brushes it off. It's causing tension and affecting our business's growth.

I'm at a point where I feel like I have to choose between our friendship and the success of our business. If I end our friendship over these professionalism concerns, would I be the a*****e in this situation?

Quick context: Emily is going through a tough time personally, but I feel like it's affecting our business negatively. So WIBTA for prioritizing professionalism and potentially ending our friendship?

That’s when OP’s “friendly partnership” starts looking more like a revolving door of missed meetings and late arrivals from Emily.

Comment from u/CoffeeAddict23

NTA - Business is business, and if Emily isn't pulling her weight, it's understandable to prioritize professionalism. It's tough, but sometimes tough decisions have to be made for the sake of the business.

Emily’s personal stuff might explain the slump, but it doesn’t change the fact that OP is still the one dealing with the fallout at work.

Comment from u/gamingqueen99

It might be worth having a serious discussion before making any drastic decisions.

Also, if you’re wrestling with whether to prioritize your values over loyalty, see the WIBTA question about skipping a best friend’s relationship workshop.

Comment from u/catlover_87

YTA - Friendship should come first. Have a heart-to-heart with Emily about how her actions are impacting the business and see if you can work through it together. Ending a friendship over work issues might be too harsh.

After the defensive reactions every time OP raises professionalism concerns, it’s hard to tell if Emily will improve or just get angrier.

Comment from u/adventure_seeker

ESH - It sounds like there's a lack of communication and understanding on both sides. Try to address the issues openly and find a compromise before considering ending the friendship or business partnership.

So when OP starts thinking about ending the friendship, the whole question becomes whether the business can survive the friendship’s current rules.

Comment from u/musiclover22

NTA - Your business's success is important, and if Emily isn't meeting expectations, it's reasonable to address the professionalism concerns. Just make sure to communicate clearly and consider all options before making a final decision.

What's your opinion on this situation? Join the conversation!.

Nobody wants to keep losing deadlines just to preserve a friendship.

Jealous of Emily’s business success, but worried you’re abandoning her, check out this WIBTA debate about whether to support a friend’s successful business.