Starting a Home Business With Your Spouse
Starting a homebased business with your spouse can be a great way to combine your family and business activities under one roof. But it takes some advance planning and a great deal of trust and communication to make it work. If your partnership turns into a power struggle, you can put both your business and marriage at risk. But if neither one of you wants to step up and take charge, your hard-earned business may turn into a money-losing hobby.
Follow these five steps for creating a homebased business that will provide you and your spouse with fun and profit for many years to come:
1. Divide your roles and responsibilities. Even though both of you may possess the skills to do the work and serve your clients, it’s important to divvy up your company’s roles and responsibilities so that you don’t step on each other’s toes. In many small businesses, one partner is the “front of the house,” handling sales and business development and preparing proposals and job estimates. The other partner acts as the “back of the house,” handling the day-to-day operations and taking care of the bookkeeping, payroll and general office duties. While big decisions such as investing money in a new computer system or hiring an employee should be made together, this can be an excellent way to share power and minimize arguments……





