Photo / Courtesy of Black Fly Media
Diana Nelson
Updated: 41 min ago
How To
How to successfully run a business with your spouse
By Diana Nelson, guest contributor
In sickness and in health. In good times and in bad. What about, in the red or in the black? Marriage takes work, patience and adaptability, but running a business with a spouse raises the stakes. Wins feel sweeter. Losses hit harder. And financial success — or failure — is shared.
But here’s the upside: working with someone you implicitly trust gives you a built-in competitive advantage. After 20 years of doing this, one thing is clear: success doesn’t happen by accident. Clear roles, firm boundaries and good communication build strong partnerships — both at home and at work.
Define rules to create autonomy
At home, responsibilities are often shared fluidly. In business, that approach leads to confusion and frustration, and sometimes financial loss. Trying to ping-pong daily tasks inevitably means something will be missed — and an argument may follow.
Clearly defined roles and responsibilities, based on your natural skills and abilities, are essential. In a partnership, this division delivers independence, confidence and freedom to know you’re working in parallel toward shared business goals.
Boundaries build freedom
Great work relies on effective internal communication. The comfort of a close relationship can make difficult conversations easier — but it can also erode professional focus if boundaries aren’t respected.
Schedule important conversations with calendar invites. Share calendars and set deadlines to avoid miscommunication. Block time for uninterrupted work. Send an email or text instead of calling across the office or barging into a workspace. Professional boundaries protect concentration, elevate the quality of communication and reduce inevitable annoyances.
Eliminate the emotion
When you work with your spouse, there is an assumed level of respect for their talent, perspective and contribution. That respect should be reflected structurally, not emotionally. They don’t like your idea? Who cares. While building a business feels personal, don’t sweat the small stuff, and move on from disagreements quickly.
Run the business like a business. Remove emotion from decision-making and replace it with clarity and process. Set goals and KPIs for milestones and measure them closely. Most importantly, this is a partnership — success and failure are shared equally.
Structure creates space
Small business owners wear many hats — and they are often the creative force behind the product. While resourcefulness is a strength, being spread too thin limits patience, dilutes work quality and creates stress.
Whether it’s hiring a consultant or bringing on an additional team member, recognize when support is needed. You don’t have to do it all yourselves — and you shouldn’t. Adding support creates space and time to remember who you are and to do what you love — both individually and together.
Don’t talk about work at home
It really is that simple — and that hard. Running a business can easily consume all your mental energy. If work follows you home every night, it can become the only thing you have in common. Be deliberate about this rule.
When something comes up, give each other permission to dismiss the conversation until tomorrow without guilt or second thoughts. Send yourself an email and address it during work hours. Everyone needs a break from their job — and home is a primary place for that.
Remember why you chose this together
Entrepreneurship is scary, risky and rewarding. Doing it with someone you already trust, respect and communicate well with provides a powerful competitive advantage, not a liability. Faster decisions. Clear communication. Confident delegation. Common long-term goals.
Running a business with your spouse is not easy — but with the right approach, you will build something that strengthens both your professional and personal life.
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