I have a business going now, its a lan center. When i started i had a couple friends from the job i was at that wanted to be 'partners'. But when it came time to build the place out, which took 3 months of 18-20 hour days, they were nowhere to be found. When loans were being secured, they were nowhere to be found. When it came down to running this place every single day...still nowhere to be found. When i was spending hours upon hours researching the area, the business, licensing, etc...I was the ONLY one doing that. They figured that because they were around me when the idea was forming, that they were 50-50 partners
So no..they aren't 'partners', and when they got enlightened to this...now they arent 'friends'. No big loss. Because my REAL friends were the guys that i've known forever that DID help me during buildout and were there pretty much the entire time, and didnt ask for anything but pizza and beer for their work. Being that they were my friends, I still paid them for their time, because without them i wouldnt have been able to get it done, but they have NEVER asked for a partnership or a cut or anything like that. However they do come here and play for free, as do their kids, and i have absolutely no problem with that at all because i know if I asked them again, they would do it again in an instant...as would I for them.
The point of this long winded reply is that a TRUE friend is someone that knows who the boss is, knows who is the guy that's putting his neck on the block to open up a new business, and wouldnt ask for a cut of something they have no stake in.