So, I’m back from my campaign hiatus and have been thinking about family businesses.

For the last 6+ weeks, my husband and I had put all the commitments of our professional lives on hold and during that time, we were effectively running a family start-up.  From building a website, finding an office, bringing a staff together, and of course, getting the campaign started, we had never worked such long hours on anything together.

Not only that, but the rest of our family got involved as well.

My parents came to stay with us during the week to keep the kids on a semblance of a schedule.  My brother and sister in law were at the campaign office most evenings. My Dad was there every afternoon, putting up signs and canvassing.

It was the closest experience I’d ever had to working in or with a family business, which was interesting because during the campaign, I also had the chance to meet with many of the family businesses in the area, brother and sister duos running multi-million manufacturing businesses, family law firms and food shops.

There was something incredibly appealing about the ability to create the work or office environment you want and (in theory) have more control over both your family and career life.

Now of course,  it’s not that easy or straight forward. The reality is that work-life balance is even more difficult when it’s your company and your colleagues are your family.

Plus since individually both family and business are often difficult to navigate,  combined together, they bring an entirely new set of political and economic tensions (the recent memoir My Korean Deli gives a snapshot of all of this plus some cultural clash for good measure).

But from The MomShifters I’ve spoken with so far – a career built at a family business, does bring several distinct advantages.

First, you’re the boss or you’re related to the boss.   Either way, it means (at least in theory), that you should have more flexibility on when and how work gets done and hopefully face less of a career penalty for traditional career obstacles like time off for maternity leave.  Of course, odds are that if it’s your family business, you’ll have less chance to actually have a conventional maternity leave.

A family business also faces greater financial vulnerability in tough economic times and brings with it an entirely new set of family-related gender issues.

Still, I’m starting to love the idea of having one. And in the meantime, hearing some more stories of MomShifters who are working in or heading up one.

Reva Seth is the founder and director of the Center for Career Innovation.  The MomShift: From Maternity to Opportunity is her second book.