Will Our Marriage Survive Our Home Business?

After 13 years working as a retail store manager, my husband chose to leave corporate America to work with our small business. Long 60-hour work weeks were replaced with on-demand services to virtual clients. With the change in financial focus also came a change in our personal lives. Before operating our small business as a couple we spent only a few hours a night together four to five days a week. Now, we were spending every moment of the day sitting across from each other in our home office. How could our marriage survive?

Couples Run More Than One Million Businesses Together in the United States

We were thrilled to find out that more than one million couples were facing the same challenges we faced every day. We reached out to other couples via forums and online websites to ask how they managed to work together as business partners and maintain a solid marriage in the process. The answers were the foundation of our business structure.

I'm in Charge: No, I'm in Charge

From the onset, couples running small businesses together need to establish the ground rules. Define who is in charge of what aspect of the business and stick with that plan. If your husband is in charge of finances, he needs the freedom to make financial decisions without having you second guess every decision.

This was the hardest change for me. I had been the sole employee of our home business for more than four years. I took care of the finances, marketing and fulfillment. It was extremely hard to step out of that position and allow my husband to take part in the business. While we both handle financial issues, he makes the big decisions after we hold business meeting to discuss all options.

Money is Important, But Work Needs to End

My husband was the major breadwinner for our family before joining our home business. He earned more than $100,000 a year. Our home business was not large enough to replace that income, so we worked 18 to 20 hours a day for the first year. Instead of bonding as a couple, a huge wall appeared between us and our children. Work took precedence over every other aspect of life. Finally, after fighting for nearly two months straight, we created a family budget and figured out where to make major cuts so we could afford to work less and still maintain a successful lifestyle. Over the next year, we grew closer and bonded with our children in a way we never thought possible.

Be Prepared to Get a "Real Job" If Needed

There have been times over the past two years when we thought a "real job" was the only answer to financial struggles. We both looked through Help Wanted ads searching for a job that could make more money than our home business. Finally my husband received a call from the local school system with a job offer. After running the numbers we realized our home business could be more successful if we both worked at home than it was when he worked outside the home. He turned down the job offer and started learning more about our business niche so we could offer additional services to clients. While we understand there could be a time when a "real job" is needed to pay the bills, for now we are working to grow our business.

What Should Couples Expect When Operating a Small Business Together?

Couples running a business together can expect arguments, long days, heated discussions and a bit of bumping of ideas along the way. It is important to maintain a home life in addition to a business life to promote your marriage as much as you promote your business.

Will Our Marriage Survive Our Home Business?

The short answer is yes. Your home business can be productive and your marriage solid if you separate the two into distinct sections of life. In the beginning, you can expect to work long hours promoting your business and fulfilling the needs of customers and clients, but eventually things will come together and it will all be worthwhile. Today, we work in an atmosphere of laughter while never forgetting our desire to grow our business to new heights. The journey has been difficult, but the rewards are well worth the angst.

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