Here are three tips about borrowing from friends and family for your business, as explained in the book Finance Your Business: Secure Funding to Start, Run, and Grow Your Business by the staff of Entrepreneur.

• It’s important to treat friends and relatives as if they were any other investor. Insist on the same sort of legal documentation you’d prepare if they were a total stranger, as too many entrepreneurs make such loans on an informal basis.
• Next, secure a lawyer. Many states guarantee voting rights to an individual who has invested money in a business, which can create hard feel­ings. Make sure to check with your attorney before accepting any loans from friends or family.
• Finally, remember that debt may actually be better than equity. If someone lends you money, you only have to pay it back, with interest — they can’t tell you how to run your company. If someone buys stock in your busi­ness, however, they are legally your business partner. When in doubt, make it a loan, and pay it back as soon as you can.

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