It could be a dream come true for some – spending long working days with the love of your life…but for others the thought of doing that would be like living a nightmare.
If you’re not entirely sure if it could work, here are some things to consider and get in place before your business takes off:
Define your roles
Living in each other’s pockets day and night can blur many boundaries. For a few couples this might not pose any issues but for the majority, there’s a good chance that this can start to cause cracks.
That’s why it’s important to have clearly defined roles in your business before you start out. If one of you is strong with marketing and promotion, you should own it. The other can take charge of something else. You can agree to discuss big decisions together so that you’re both involved in important decisions, and to keep communication flowing.
Keep business and family separate
Sounds like hypocrisy but try to keep family matters out of work time and work talk put of family time.
If there are no clear limits you’ll start to feel as if everything is about the business and feel like it is encroaching on your family life.
Uphold a profesional image at all times
It may sound cute to some people to know that your business is run by a couple, but in some circles it really doesn’t pay to make it the first message you give to potential clients. Business is business, after all so make that the first priority.
Have a clear plan for your business and set goals
A business plan is crucial in all businesses that want to succeed. Working with your spouse doesn’t mean it should play a secondary role. Have clear business roles and objectives laid down on paper.
Make them achievable and measuresable (SMART) and keep checking back on them to make sure the business is progressing in the way you both intended.
