Starting off a business venture with your partner or spouse is a life-changing and daring experience. Although for some this may come naturally, for others it can turn out to be a suicidal decision. It is well renowned, that going into business with your partner is not for the faint-hearted, and more often than not, there will be times where you have to agree to disagree. In this article, we shall be discussing a few tips on how to sustain a successful business relationship with your significant other, whilst remaining happily married.
Identify your personality traits
This is one of the vital things to consider before starting a business with your partner. Just because you are compatible in a loving relationship, does not necessarily imply the same for a working context. Therefore, to hit the ground running, you will need to understand each other’s strengths and weakness and distribute work accordingly.
Assign roles and responsibilities
Assigning roles and responsibilities is another crucial element to address prior to starting a business. Roles need to be assigned depending on one’s capabilities. Usually, one’s role is dependent on the experience and qualifications one holds. Splitting tasks and responsibilities into the initial stages is key to creating an efficient and successful work environment and also avoiding unnecessary interference with each other’s tasks.
Learn to set boundaries
Another important rule when setting up a business with your partner or spouse is that you have to learn how to set boundaries. Once you have determined the areas of the business each of you will manage, you need to trust the abilities of your counterparty. Giving the impression that you want to micromanage everything is not only unproductive but also indicates a lack of confidence in your partner’s capabilities.
Another valid point is that couples need to be good at transitioning between their personal and business lives. This means that whenever couples return home from work, they must leave their business problems at work and not have them spill all over their personal lives. This is not as simple as it sounds, and most of the time this is where couples fail. This attitude does not only create tension on the
Make time for yourself
Since you will be spending most of the time working with your partner or spouse, you should make it a point to schedule activities apart. Engaging in a hobby or sport, with one of your relatives or a friend may turn out to be very healthy for your marriage, and this gives you something new to talk about when you get back home.
Think you can manage a business relationship with your partner? We warned you…
