Unlimited partnership: Couples in business
Have you tried to do business with your romantic partner? Have thoughts about our profiled partnerships? Join the discussion.
From KEVIN MARSHALL, Tampa, FL I am 46% of a dynamic duo!
My wife is the other 54% — I have to give her more credit! I enjoyed reading the article about the couples that are in business together. My wife, Jennifer, and I started our business, Marshall Advertising, 8 ∏ years ago. We started the advertising agency out of our house and now own and inhabit an 8,000 square foot historic mansion in South Tampa. Our business is an extension of our family. Our employees have seen us had domestic disputes right in the middle of the day at work. It is funny; Jennifer’s friends say it is sweet that we were together. My friends say I must be crazy … Mars and Venus I guess. We have 3 small children so it really works for us … on most days.
I love your Magazine and look forward to receiving it each month. I would love to write a guest column sometime!
Have a great day!
From Patrick Seminole Florida My wife and I acutally met while working in a large insurace company here in St Petersburg Fl and we worked together for several years until we both moved onto better jobs at other companies. Just last Sept we opened a restaurant together and so far its been great, she takes care of all the paperwork and finances and I take care of the rest. The hardest part is we both still work our day jobs for now so we really don't get to spend a log of free time together but the time we do have is not wasted in front of the TV.
From Vernon D. Fox, Houston, Texas My wife and I have been in business together for 10 years. We started with $200, 8 credit cards and a prayer. The prayer worked. We now have 34 employees, average $6 million in sales annually. We each have our strengths and weaknesses. My wife is strong in finance and monetary matters while I'm strong in Human Resources, marketing, sales, inventory and other facets of management. We only have one rule, I am not allowed to touch the money. I can charge anything I want on a credit card but no checks, cash, etc. It works out great. We continually learn from each other and have more in common and to talk about than ever before. Our children have just graduated from college and high school and now have joined us in our lifelong adventure. It is enjoyable and pleasureable about 99.5% of the time. When we do disagree, we continue to talk it out until an agreement is reached. We also realize that we have alot to lose if we don't. Keep the doors of communication open and respect each other's prowess in their specialized areas. Our web site is http://www.lonestaruniforms.com . Thanks and we enjoyed your article. FYI: Our company was setup with my wife in charge so as to qualify for a woman owned business. I always tell folks that I got where I am today by sleeping with the Boss!!
From Chris and Karen Divver, Toms River, NJ My wife and I read with much interest your Sleeping with the Boss article from February 2008 FSB. We have been married for just over two years now, together for 7, and started own own specialty food and gift basket business last year. We find that having other careers; she's a paramedic, I'm a career firefighter, allows us the separation that the other entrepreneurs in your article spoke of. That time apart enables us to focus on the business resulting in more productivity and more creativity. Being partners in a business is similar to being partners in marriage. We each bring something to the relationship that the other is yearning for resulting in happiness and, hopefully, wealth!
From Norm, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada It’s interesting to read an article around this topic and encouraging to see other couples running a business of their own. We started a record label/recording studio business just under two years ago and are continually learning the ropes. Playing on each other’s strengths is what keeps the business going, and it’s a strong match, because together we can achieve more for the company than what we could do on our own, or with somebody else. It’s key to be prepared for the unexpected—no matter how well you plan, some things just don’t work out a certain way and we have to keep an open mind to try other strategies. Every production that we do provides us with lessons that we learn from and that we can apply to the next one. Being so entrenched in the business is fascinating, as we have different points of view, but can easily come to an agreement that is “best for the business”.
Norman McDavid and Mariela Fuentes
Music Spirit
http://www.musicspirit.ca
From Himanshu Sharma Your article on CNNmoney.com about couples in business together was very interesting and eye opening.
My wife and I are in a very successful business together. We work from home designing and importing home furnishings.
We would love to share our experiences with other readers.
Please contact us if you would like to know more about us and our business.
Thanks and Best Regards,
Himanshu Sharma
Divine Designs USA Inc.
From Holli Ehrlich, Liivngtson NJ I loved the article and thought the cover story title was perfect and appropriate. Who's the boss – the wife? the husband? Both without doubt when in business together. I really enjoyed reading the posts. It's exciting to learn about other couplepreneur experiences.
My husband Robert Allen and I have been happily married 16 years and have been working together ever since we got home from our honeymoon. Together we successfully ran a video production company documenting special events. Two years ago we co-founded Wedding Podcast Network http://www.weddingpodcastnetwork.com , a new bridal media company, and now work closer than ever – VERY closely! Our compatibility is extraordinary. We are friends, lovers and business partners.
What's good? As in any successful partnership and relationship we communicate well and really listen to each other's ideas. We make decisions together that will affect our business and our family. The key is balance. We are each other's yin and yang. We complement each other's strengths and weaknesses. We both wear many hats, but each brings something special to the company. We both have creative input and deal with most of the daily operations together. Robert is the executive producer and the master tech guy ensuring the best audio quality and production value. I prioritize the aesthetics and brand as well as book guests on the network. Respect, trust, hard work, talent, patience, high energy and self motivation are integral to any strong partnership in business and marriage.
What's bad? We work together 24/7 nonstop. You wake up, take the kids to school and get right on the computer. Something ALWAYS needs to be done – proposals, emails, emails, and more emails, phone calls, meetings, scheduling, sales, marketing, publicity, newsletters, recordings. It’s hard to switch the “off” button. Business chat rules whether at home or in the car with my iPhone (I love it) – more emails, phone calls and podcasts. Arguments, complaining and shop talk need to be kept in check. There is a high level of stress. Pick your battles. We don't always agree, but try our best to compromise – or escape and watch some reality TV. Not agreeing sometimes results in a battle, but we each learn and grow from this too. Making up can be fun! And we have two children, Lindsey 14 & Alex 11, and need to keep their lives and schedules in mind. This entrepreneurial business is our third child and we care about it greatly.
It's not easy working with a spouse, but we achieve personal satisfaction because we believe that what we are working on is innovative and helpful to couples worldwide. Wedding Podcast Network features the largest, most comprehensive selection of original wedding talk radio programming on the Internet. Being a loving, married husband/wife team in the business of love, weddings and marriage is a powerful connection that offers credibility and comfort to our audience. They trust us personally and professionally. Together we are a dynamic duo that enjoys sharing the ups and downs of life and business partnership together happily ever after.
Holli Ehrlich
holli@thewpn.com
Wedding Podcast Network
http://www.weddingpodcastnetwork.com/
From Yadgyu, Harkeyville, TX "I was completely reviled by the wording on the cover of your latest issue. Is marriage nothing more than sleeping together that it is the focal point of married couples running a business together? How absurd, and disgusting!"
__________
Some of you need to lighten up.
It is just a title to get people to read the story. When I saw the title, I clicked on the article. When I started reading it, I got bored. But the point was to get people to read. If you got offended, it is no big deal. You probably are not successful in life and get offended by anyone having fun and making money.
From Philip Blades Hello
I enjoy your magazine. The articles and numbers are the closest to my
business. I'm still on the very low end of sales but I can still relate.
Unlimited Partnerships; great article. It's all about a dream.
Whether it works or not you have to try it. I started my business 8 years
ago. My wife has always been the backbone. Giving me daily and weekly
surpport. Without her support I would have gave up!
The last two years we're seeing day light and this year she's working with
me on an everyday basis. Along with my son "who is 17 and my art-director"
"part-time" it's all about my dream. I say "my dream" because I have to be
careful! It's not about me! So far it's working out. We're both very
thankful. As far as my son; he'll go off to college, graduate, out into the
market and maybe one day he'll take this dream over. For now we're are very
thankful.
Phil
From Stacy Wilson My husband and I were both excited that you are covering entrepreneurial
couples. When I got laid off from a global HR consulting firm the week of
9/11 the market in Denver was not pretty. We had sacrificed a lot to get
back to Colorado and didn't want to move again.
So, I took my severance and started an communication consultancy that
specializes in employee communication and organizational development. My
husband has a small photography business, but he joined my business. I'm
still the lead consultant. I handle all the business development and project
implementation. I've got four subcontractors who are staffed to specific
clients.
My husband (former research metallurgical engineer) got certified as a
usability analyst, so he handles our usability consulting and other
web-related work. As an MBA he also handles the business side (AR, AP,
bookkeeping and payroll).
We both office from our home, but I'm on the road a lot. We have two kids,
two fish and one dog. Life couldn't be better. The flexibility is terrific
and we find working together to be a true pleasure. Neither of us would ever
return to the corporate grind. But landing big contracts with Fortune 10
companies (often beating out big firms) is a thrill I will never tire of.
Great magazine! Keep 'em coming!
Stacy Wilson, ABC
From Rabbi Avraham S. Cohen I was completely reviled by the wording on the cover of your latest issue. Is marriage nothing more than sleeping together that it is the focal point of married couples running a business together? How absurd, and disgusting!
Rabbi Avraham S. Cohen
Special Programs Director
Yeshiva Beth Yehudah
From Solomon Lachman We are a family business and we keep family values here. Your cover
headline "sleeping with the boss" may have sounded cute to you, and
designed to titilate readers, but to us it is merely emblematic of the
direction of this society. It is too sad to tolerate.
As to the visual content, Zoot Suits may be in fashion, but photos of
women wearing them with no shirts are not the kind of thing that will end
up on the table in the waiting room.
The magazine has once again ended up in the wastebasket before being
read. That's too bad for both of us. As this is the second time I have
found objectionable material in FSB, I have cancelled my subscription. I
have had my AMEX card for 25 years and never had problems with the
magazine in the past. Let me know if you change your policies, as I have
in the main enjoyed my free subscription, but it's just too much over the
line for us.
Solomon Lachman
Rexcel, Inc.
From Tenley van der Wal, Newport, Rhode Island I loved the article of couples working together and could relate quite well to Cameron Hughes and Jessica Kogan's story. My husband and I run his photography business and gallery together. He has been a photographer for 20 years and I am an interior designer. We had a partner open a gallery of my husband's photography and the partnership fell apart, so I picked up the pieces and took over the gallery. My design and client experience certainly was an advantage to selling artwork both retail and wholesale. My husband continues with his assignment and stock photography and I sell all the print work. The lines of duties and abilitities are clearly divided and both sides of the business capitalize on each other. The gallery has been open for seven years and has surpassed the photography business in gross sales.
We have a staff of 3 other people that have been with us a long time and have to put up with a "family business". We also have three children, so both of us understand the limitations of working constantly – the kids and marriage come first. The kids are part of the project also; they model for us when we are on assignment in some remote area – and can complain occasionally, but they realize they wouldn't be sitting on a boat in The Seychelle's if they weren't posing for dad at sunrise, making that perfect dive for the tenth time!
Trust and respect are the two key words that make it work. You have to trust that the other is doing his best and respect him enough to put all of your energies into the same business. Who else would work as hard as you when the end product is going to the same home, the same kids, the same retirement account?
From moenia This is a great article. There are so many similarities that I discovered in reading all the stories. In our case, I bought the business and am 100% owner of the business and now my fiancee is working with me. She handles the creative side of the business and I handle the business side and running it. When we first started working together, the stress of the business and me having to run it my way got us on each other's nerves but we have figured out how to work together. We have to have separate offices and also clear roles. In addition, she has a rule that we don't talk business before a certian time in the morning. I never understood that but I understand that and have adapted. I still do my thing and work all hours but for her it does not work so we have managed to work it out. We are getting married this year, building a house in the city. We will move the business into our house next year to save expenses. This will be a very busy and stressful year but we hope to come out of it stronger. We will be outsourcing our logistics and warehouse operations so we can focus on product development, sales, and marketing. We are only in our 3rd year and it has been a tough 3 years but we have had to make a lot of investments to modernize it and get it going. But one thing is for sure, we love having control over our own time!
It is definitely not for the faint of heart. Trust is key.
Neil
http://www.moeniadesign.com
From Tracee, Laguna Hills, CA I loved this article. My husband and I started our own business in 2003 and it has been very rewarding. It does have moments of conflict,however these moments do open a side of communication that a couple may never tap into. You can learn a lot more about your spouse and yourself. Being successful in business can create an even stronger bond between the couple that will refect in their home life!
From Kelly, Austin Texas It's been 16 years in our current business and this is our second time at working together. Early on there were the typical "power struggles" but that is something not isolated to working with your spouse. If two people are reasonable, have similar goals and can each provide specific expertise, it can be a great advantage to have that ongoing emotional support. If you don't spend a lot of time together now, you may want to rethink the idea of working together. Even with separate offices and tasks you'll see a lot of each other at work. http://www.officetracker.com
From Mike, Phoenix, Arizona I would first say that each partner should have equal interest in the business and the nature of business. If the husband wants to start a business about hunting and the wife has no interest, there is not much reason to believe it will survive. Need Website Help
From Lee Knight, Alexandria, VA The article is great, and I would love more insight into some of the real frustrations these couples have had to work through.
I currently run my own business in helping overachievers make career and life decisions (www.overachievercoach.com), and am contemplating starting another business venture with my significant other, but have some reservations.
Our professional experiences compliment each other well, as do our areas of strength. The primary concern is that he and I have different communication and work styles, and I'd be curious to know how other couples have resolved those differences.
Naturally, I wouldn't want any friction from our "professional" relationship to spill into our personal interactions. Although I think we're both mature enough to keep work issues "at work", I think there's always some residual tension when there's a difference of opinion.
I guess when couples work together, it's that much more important to maintain a strong network of friends and family to be able to chat with when necessary.
In the quiz associated with this article, they mention taking vacations separately to have time away from each other. I agree that it's important to be able to claim space when necessary, but taking vacations separately seems like missing out on one of the best things of being a couple!
With regard to maintaining a healthy work-life relationship, I would say the most important thing is to be able to recognize if it's having a debilitating effect on the personal side and working together to make the necessary changes to ensure happiness.
Good luck to other entrepreneurial couples!
From Andy LaPointe, Bellaire, MI My wife and I started our business shortly after September 11, 2001. From 2001 until 2005 she ran the business while I continued my job which required me to travel 5 days a week. Once I quit my job, our business really took off. Not only do we get to watch our child "the business" grow we have been able to blend the business and our life. We talk about the kids while at work and talk about work while at home. In fact, we recenly built a playground behind our warehouse so our kisd could stay with us at work and we don't have to put them in day care. It has been an very open experience and the communication is vital to keep it going. We have divided the responsiblities due our talents and we respect and support each others business decision. In addition, our personal relationship has grown stronger with each other since we started our business together.
From Jean R Charles, Frelinghuysen Twp., NJ I loved this article because it highlighted 5, actually 6 successful pairs of couplepreneurs. This is a great business model. I have found through my own experience of owning a business with my husband for more than twenty years, coaching other couples and extensive research that businesses run by couples are good for the couple as well as the business world. They are more value driven, family friendly and provide more flexibility for the owners because of the shared responsibility. Of course,there are challenges but when the couple works well together they are surmountable.
I would like to make readers aware of a new business association formed by Leila and Brad Johnson of NM to provide a support network for couple entrepreneurs called the National Copreneur Society at http://www.copreneursociety.org
From Jennifer Zitting, Centennial Park, AZ My ex-husband and I married in 1996, and we started a successful mortgage company together. The company did well, but matters in our personal life made it impossible to live together. Still, we got along well, we negotiated the seperation, the division of assets and the ownership of the company with nothing more than a mediator, and we continue to run the company together.
It allows us both the freedom to keep our self employed hours, and our children see that we still work together and get along and don't fight. They also can't play one against the other.
I think the key here is to realize that there can be more than one solution to a problem. I also have trust in my ex's uncanny instinct for what will be profitable and what won't and he seems to trust my skills. Through time, we have pretty much devided the decision making based on our talents. This cuts down on conflict a lot.
From Sandra Houston Texas I started a billing company in 2004. I brought my husband into the business in late 2005. WE love it!!! He started talking about maybe looking for another job during a rough patch in late 2006 and I panicked! We then realized that for the company and the family to continue to thrive we both were needed. We still have bad days but we get through them and keep remembering why we did this to begin with. I would never change a minute of it.
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