Could You Handle Working With Your Spouse?
You just know in your gut whether or not you can work with your spouse.
For many, the notion of working with a spouse sounds, at best, dangerous, and, at worst, like a direct path to marital collapse. But for a growing number of American couples, running a business together offers the best of both worlds: pursuing a professional dream with someone you love and respect, while getting a chance to spend more time with them. According to the National Federation of Independent Business, there were approximately 1.2 million husband- and wife-owned small businesses nationwide in 2003, the most recent year for which the group has data. Anecdotally, family-business experts say that number has only continued to climb.
The increase in the number of women choosing an entrepreneurial path is playing a role in the growth of husband-wife teams. In the past, men tended to open a business and often a wife is helping, but he doesn’t always see her as his partner. Now, women are more entrepreneurial and recognizing that more in themselves than they used to.
It’s nearly impossible for couples to completely separate their work and personal lives. Other couples say that a key to maintaining both a strong business partnership and healthy marriage is to establish distinct responsibilities that do not overlap. Still, it’s not for every couple. When personalities and business acumen mesh in a couple’s professional life, these married entrepreneurial teams say the personal relationship often follows suit.
