I stumbled across this topic as my next blog post because... to be frank... running a family business takes an incredible level of teamwork. Teamwork that can only come from deep trial & error.
Meet Nick. My adorable husband. He is 33 years young who is a poster child extrovert. He would rather rip his fingernails off (one-by-one) than sit behind a desk and work-from-home. True.Meet me (Laura). I am 30 years young who can feel completely satisfied sitting at home in my yoga pants, kombucha in hand and a laptop enabling me to build my dreams.
We are opposites.
He loves sweets.
I love salty.
He loves music.
I love silence.
He is a talker.
I am a listener.
He has a fabulous sense of direction.
I don't know my lefts from rights.
You get it.
But it's true what they say: Opposites attract! We fell in love in 2005 and the rest is history. Fast forward to 2013 and we started an online business. Originally, this was my brain child as an attempt to replace my corporate america income (so I could quit my job and be at home with our 8-month old). Not 6 months after my online adventure started, my husband lost his job and we made the bold decision to pour our hearts into my growing online health & fitness business. It was new territory. It was fun. Scary. Risky. Mind blowing. Rewarding.
We've been full-time teammates now for 3 years. I love him more today than the day we got married. He makes me stronger. He gives me wings. I want to pinch his head off sometimes... and other times I don't think I can take one more breath without him by my side. It's a weird-romantic-obsession. We just want to be best friends.Building a family business did not come without blood, sweat and tears. If you and your spouse are on the edge of diving into business together, I wanted to offer my TOP 10 TIPS that will keep your romance strong and business sharp.
1. Decide WHY you want this. I cannot count on all my hands and feet the number of times we've revisited this topic. The days when we feel drained. Defeated. Confused. One of us tries to fix our posture and brings our decided mission back to the surface. And we persevere.2. Know WHAT you want. Is there a certain level of income you need to survive? Are you being responsible and pulling your weight so you meet your financial needs? Nick and I would love to make 4x what we make. Who wouldn't. But we pay all our bills, put good food on the table, enjoy frequent family vacations and give generously. When you put it in that perspective, your "I need to be ____" bare minimum becomes more clear. We want freedom. We want to do the work we love & be fully present with our two young boys. That's what we want.
3. Communication is everything. Communication is the key to any good relationship. But with family, it can take a little more effort, as there are often dynamics at place that make communication more complicated. We can have a tendency to feel like a loved one knows us to well that we shouldn't have to voice our feelings or expectations. But if you want your partnership to work, it's important to let go of these assumptions and communicate clearly & openly.
4. Priorities are important. We all want to be successful entrepreneurs and make a lot of money and change the world. But it's important to prioritize your family relationships over business. It's heartbreaking to hear of families that have been ripped apart by financial or business disputes. At the end of the day, you can build another business or make more money, but you've only got one family for life. Remembering that can help put disagreements into perspective (and avoid the nasty fallout of a family business gone bad.)5. Have compatible strengths. THIS ONE is like jackpot for us. As we've grown up together (been together for 11 years), we learned how hilariously different we really are... but this is to our benefit. Write out what it will take to achieve your said business goals. What responsibilities and to-do's will it take daily. Which of you should do what? Who can learn new skills to take over certain unfamiliar areas (i.e. Taxes! Nick handles all our taxes and payrol and, boy, am I grateful!). Do you all have realistic expectations of the work hours it will take... can you all manage your home AND run your business? Talk it all out and commit to contribute fairly.
7. Understand what you're getting into. Entrepreneurship isn't a 9-5 job. It's a lifestyle choice. A couple who wants to go into business together needs to realize what this entails and prepare to devote themselves to it. It's easy to "leave work at work" when you actually... LEAVE work. But if you are working at home (like we do), it means you need to be that much stronger to endure the roller coaster ride of being a business owner.
8. Visualize the win. Imagine 5, 10, 15, 20 years from now... sitting beside your family celebrating decades of hard work. Looking at each other's eyes knowing that when no one else believed it was possible... that you guys stuck together. You focused on your mission as a couple & family. And now you've proven to your kids that they can do anything they put their mind to. It will take sacrifice and growth. But visualize the life you want and run after it each day.
Running an at-home business with my husband has truly been a blessing. I am stronger for it... Wiser for it...I matured faster because of it...We are in a better place financially because of it... And we get to raise our kids our way because of it. It may seem off to some (or most). But to us, we'd rather be the crazies chasing a dream that fulfills us than punching the clock and spending our life apart.
Is it for everyone? Nope. But if you have the tickle in your heart, go for it!
Do like us... learn how to fly on the way down!
Through running our online health & fitness business, we aim to inspire a movement in people to step back, slow down and love others. That is wrapped up in a little 4-word motto we try to live by: Love Fast Live Slow.
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Ps. If this connected with you, then you are my people! Let's keep in touch. Drop your email below if you want more business advice.
