Helping out in a family business feels like a privilege, especially when it’s your in-laws’ shop. I wanted to impress them, to show that I could run things smoothly. But I quickly realized that running a store isn’t the hardest part—it’s finding and managing the right employees. A shoe store needs active staff, people who can move, find stock fast, and handle peak seasons efficiently. That’s easier said than done.
The Struggles of Keeping Order
My role was mainly to supervise, making sure the employees did their work. If there were flaws—dirty displays, misplaced stock—I had to step in and guide them. But stock kept moving around because different employees had their own way of doing things. Now that I’ve been away for a while, focusing on my freelancing and housewife duties, coming back is stressful. Every time, I have to relearn where everything is and make sure they don’t undo whatever order I try to maintain.
Managing employees and organizing the store are the real headaches. It’s chaotic. They used to have multiple shops, but now, with only one left, all the stock from the closed locations got crammed into one space. The storeroom is a mess, so packed that you need someone skinny just to squeeze in and find things.
The Challenge of Family Dynamics
If my husband and I had full control, I know we could make the store more efficient. Right now, it takes too long to get things done. At first, I didn’t want to change much—I had to understand how the shop worked. But after 11 years, I see exactly what could be improved. The problem? My mother-in-law.
She’s the reason things stay messy. My husband has argued with her, asking her to focus on accounting and let us handle the shop, but she insists on being involved. Instead of letting us fix one problem at a time, she adds extra tasks and derails our focus. She also wrongly scolds employees for things that aren’t really their fault. Since she’s family, I usually keep my mouth shut, but her way of doing things makes life harder for everyone. Ironically, she’s also the one who forces lazy workers to find stock, which is sometimes necessary. Some employees deliberately put shoes in the wrong boxes or hide stock to avoid doing work, which creates more confusion.
What I’ve Learned About Business
One thing I noticed about handling customers is that it follows a pattern. At first, I wasn’t sure if I was giving the right answers, but over time, I realized most customers ask the same types of questions. As long as you know store policies—fixed prices, one-day exchanges, no bargaining—it’s easy to handle them. after all, we have to keep the shop open, put food on the table, maintain a roof over our heads, and pay our employees. We don’t waste time on customers who keep second-guessing their purchase when there are others who need real assistance.
Through this experience, I’ve learned that I could do better if I had control. I can’t predict every challenge, but I know I’d focus on making things easier—better layouts, efficient stock management, and proper organization. Right now, things are unclean and cluttered, which I hate. A clean, organized shop means faster service and less stress.
The Reality of Working Unpaid
I help out because of my husband. But he doesn’t take the business seriously. If the shop is busy, he works. If it’s quiet, he disappears—going out for smokes instead of using the downtime to clean or reorganize. He blindly scolds employees like his mother does, instead of handling issues properly. It’s frustrating to watch.
If this were my own business, I’d do things differently. Realistically, I can’t start a business with no money, but I’ve thought about what I’d do if I could. A well-planned layout, an easy-access storeroom, proper labels, and minimal clutter so customers focus on the products. Since shoe boxes always get dented, I’d find a way to store them better, maybe with proper racks.
No Regrets, Just Experience
Even though I don’t get paid, I don’t regret helping. It’s all experience. One day, when I move to Kuala Lumpur and look for a job, this will help me land a retail position. Maybe one day, if I have the income, I’ll open my own business—a laundry shop instead of retail.
For anyone who finds themselves in an unpaid family business situation, my advice? Do it for the experience. And if nothing else, it shows your in-laws that you’re not just sitting at home doing nothing.