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	Business Partners And Marital Partners

	by Chuck and Sue DeFiore

With today's economy, and the layoffs occurring as a result of these economic conditions, more and more people are opting to start their own business. Due to the low start up costs, the prevalence of HOME-BASED businesses is on the rise, many of these started by husband and wife teams. However, with the move from the corporate world to the home-based, couples are finding that a new set of PROBLEMS are occurring -- in addition to the normal stumbling blocks of starting up a business.

THE KEY TO SUCCESS

In the corporate arena, one major area of importance is COMMUNICATION with employees. Good communication is accomplished through evaluations, reviews, meetings, or a company newsletter outlining company policies and news. Research indicates one of the main causes of marital separation and DIVORCE is communication. In the past, spouses worked in their respective jobs, and came home to discuss what was going on in the work place. In effect, they were sounding boards for one another. With the move to the home front, especially with starting up businesses together, the sounding boards are gone. Too many couples working together are not practicing good communication skills. Lack of communication, can cause one spouse to feel that he or she is carrying all the business RESPONSIBILITY.

DELINEATE RESPONSIBILITY

Decide who is going to handle what business matters. In addition, be sure you both know how to accomplish these functions. If illness or another crisis occurs, you need to be able to BACK UP each other in all aspects of the business. For example, if one of you does all the bank statements, be sure your spouse understands how this is accomplished -- so if necessary, they can also handle this responsibility. If you have a set PROCEDURE you follow and a way you want it done, make up an outline, so it is accomplished in the manner you want.

ASSIGNING TASKS

Marketing, return calls, daily correspondence, invoicing, expenses, supplies, calendaring, appointments, deposits, bank statements, implementation of the business plan, attendance at meetings (e.g. Chamber mixers, National groups, User groups, etc.) all need to be taken care of. Delineate responsibilities according to LIKES and DISLIKES and who will do the best job. We all have our little niches, and if it is something we like and do well, we can accomplish it better and more efficiently. Once the responsibilities have been delineated, make up a schedule for each item you both need to deal with.

THE MARKETING BEAST

Marketing is a major obstacle and can be perceived as a BURDEN. Be sure both of you are involved with the marketing end of the business -- do not let one person handle this. No one individual should have to carry this solely on their shoulders. In addition, with both spouses marketing, one person cannot blame the other for the success or failure of the business. In addition, develop a marketing STRATEGY. Will you market daily, weekly, monthly? What kind of marketing will you do -- advertising, cold calls, direct mail, etc. The more you market, the more aware the marketplace will be of the services you offer. If only one individual is marketing, there is more tension between the partners to make the business successful.

THE MOST IMPORTANT TOOL

Remember, the most important tool you both have is communication. And the key to successful communication is to keep the marriage and business SEPARATE. It's difficult, especially if you are home-based, but it can be done. If you have a problem with the way your spouse is accomplishing a task in the business environment, discuss it immediately. Do not wait. Don't expect your spouse to read your mind. Do not let this build into anger that is TRANSFERRED to your personal relationship. Remember that keeping your business and personal relationships separate is very important to the survival of both your business and your marriage.

YOUR BUSINESS DAY

One of the most important ways to accomplish this is to set up distinct business HOURS -- and when they are over, don't discuss business. Concentrate on your relationship. Confine your business discussions to business hours or set aside a specific TIME to discuss the business. For example, take the last half hour of the day to discuss the business day -- any suggestions you have, what was accomplished, what needs to be done tomorrow, during the week, and how the monthly goals you set at the beginning of the month are progressing.

WATCH WHAT YOU SAY

Remember to couch any criticisms or suggestions in a POSITIVE vein. Think of how you felt in the work situation and how supervisors dealt with you when making suggestions. Negatives only cause RESENTMENT. They do in the corporate arena, and even more so, when dealing with a spouse you must live with 24 hours a day.

GET A LIFE

You should have outside activities that are not business related. If not, join a group that interests you. It will allow you to meet with others who are not connected to your business. Running a home-based business can be very LONELY -- getting away from the home, and having outside interests is imperative. And be sure, as a couple, to set aside time for each other -- go for walks, out to dinner, or just for a drive with your spouse. Do not discuss business during these activities.

YOU DECIDE

A business is only as good as you and your partner make it. It takes a lot of dedication, time and energy to run a business, whether it is home-based or not. But it can be a very rewarding experience to work with your spouse -- as a TEAM both at work and at home.

DeFiore Enterprises has been "Helping Folks Start Successful Home-Based Businesses For Over 16 Years". Visit the website at www.homebusinesssolutions.com. To Subscribe to Home Business Solutions E-Zine, send an email to .

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