6 Months off
I joined my fathers business under the wing of a fellow colleague (Steve) whilst fairly young (well 20's). Steve and I got on well, I learned a hell of a lot about design, layouts and how to present artwork etc etc.

After 4 or 5 years of getting on great and being real good work pals Steve started to change. And over a 5 month period became quite ill, potential nervous breakdown kind of ill. Slightly worried we told him to take as much time as he needed to get better (I was now moving up the ranks in the company so had more of a say in things as father was thinking of retiring)
.
This presented an opportunity for me to go out and see clients whilst Steve was off ill.

Turns out Steve had been ill for longer than we realised and hadn't been seeing any of the clients, not one, for over 3 months.

Seems he was driving around the corner, parking, coming back 3 hours later telling us "no work" or "nothing about today".
Clients I would go to see (who knew I was bosses Son) would be surprised thinking we had stopped dealing with them. As a result I would be bringing work back from all over the place.

6 Months later we have a letter from Steve saying he can't cope with the industry or work and he wouldn't be coming back.

This saddened but didn't really surpsise us all that much, poor bloke.
Until we found out that after he initially went off ill he had set up his own Design and Printing company and started trading.

Apparently it lasted 1 year.

Idiot.

Length: About 12 years before taking over the company :)

Oh and a side note, at one point I worked with my Father, Mother and Girlfriend all at the same time, arguments were tremedous.
Now I just work with my Wife (the aforementioned Girlfreind)
(Opanoid Look sweats dripping off them, Fri 25 Jan 2008, 13:55, Reply)