SmallBusinessNewz

In Lexington, Kentucky, every television commercial for a certain furniture shop and at least one car dealer features the owners' families.  The relatives are bad actors and not particularly pretty people.  However, it turns out that this focus on family might be a good way to boost business.

All things being equal, would you rather fund a fluorescent light-filled superstore or some friendly local clan?  Doctors Justin Craig, Clay Dibrell, and Peter Davis found most people lean towards the second option.  "Our results suggest that family-based brand identity enhances the family business' ability to persuade customers to make purchasing decisions based on the perceived attributes of the seller," they wrote.

A SmallBusiness.co.uk article points out that the three men aren't a random group of individuals, and instead published their research in the Journal of Small Business Management.  So, assuming this is an approach you're able to take, consider going for it.

Here's what may be the main thing to watch for in the process: be careful that you don't harm your appearance of professionalism.  One other warning: no one's saying that this will solve all problems (such as people preferring the superstores' lower prices).

Now just make sure your wife or husband, cousins and uncles, and whatever kids might be standing around don't mind being in a few pictures and a video or two.