by Cenaca Cyprian, co-founder of Instant Christ™
Starting a business with your spouse can be one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences you have as a couple. There will be times when you might ask yourself, “what did I get myself into?” and there will also be times that you will celebrate together for achieving your goals and dreams. But in the end, there’s nothing like sharing the payoffs of working together toward a common goal with your life partner.
Here are a few things you should take into consideration if you are planning to start a business with your spouse:
1. Identify each other’s roles.
Determine up front the areas of responsibility and to whom they fall. Write clear job descriptions; this will minimize arguments. Because you may both have similar skill sets, these early decisions and assignment of duties are critical to your success and will allow for a smoother working relationship.
2. Pick the leader.
Someone has to be the face of the company and will be the person who handles sales, communication and networking. The other will be responsible for the handling of day-to-day operations. Figure out up front who makes the final decisions or if the decisions will be jointly held (meaning it has to be unanimous). Remember too that it is okay not to not get everything you want all the time. If one person is more passionate about a particular situation or decision then let that person take the lead on it.
3. Schedule personal time with each other.
When starting a new business, couples are putting in a lot of hours working to get the business off the ground. It’s important to schedule at least two or three date nights a month to relax, be together and truly in the moment without talking about business. Also, schedule family time on the weekends with the kids so they don’t feel left out. This will ensure that it’s not only all about work, there’s playtime too.
4. Set a budget and emergency fund.
It’s very important to have a budget in place in the beginning so you both have a clear picture of all your ongoing expenses and income. Starting a business is costly and most business do not see a profit until 1 or 2 years later. Always have an emergency fund set up for a rainy day and stick to the budget you’ve set no matter what.
5. Create an office space at home.
Don’t rush out and spend money on a traditional office space right away. Create dedicated office space in your home with a door that can be closed and is away from the traditional shared spaces in the home, That way not only will you save money, but you will learn to work together in a loving, creative environment. If you don’t have the space then turn one of your spare bedrooms or the den into your office space.
6. Laugh together.
Starting a successful business and maintaining a healthy marriage is two jobs in one! There may be times when you are tired or even stressed out. But don’t forget to enjoy each other’s company while working together and laugh as much as possible. If you have fun while working then that’s a recipe for success.
Cenaca Cyprian is the co-founder of Instant Christ™, the first-ever patent pending Christian and faith-based social media platform that allows users to stay connected spiritually with family, friends, Christians and people of faith around the world, and founder and CEO of TeamNakedfine.com, an Internet-based community that empowers women to eat and live a healthy lifestyle to tackle obesity, diabetes and other health related issues. She built Nakedfine.com from her personal experience with high blood pressure, high cholesterol and being a borderline diabetic.
