| My husband and I have known each other for 17 | | | | grocery shopping as well as cleaning and cooking |
| years, been happily married for over a decade | | | | while my husband does all the finances, car |
| and business partners for more than few years. | | | | maintenance and yard work. In both instances, we |
| Any couple working together will tell you that | | | | wrote down all our roles to the smallest details. I |
| balancing this is no small feat. | | | | can't tell you how many arguments this has |
| We have successfully juggled these roles (mother, | | | | saved us over years. |
| father, husband, wife, boss, partner, etc..) without | | | | Rule # 3: Mom is the boss at home, period |
| driving each other crazy by following five "golden | | | | Someone has to be the arbitrator; there are just |
| rules." I'd recommend them highly for any family, | | | | some instances where you can't reach consensus. |
| but especially when spouses are in business | | | | In those cases, Mom gets to make the call, but |
| together and they want to stay being happy. | | | | does so with the understanding that she's |
| Rule # 1: What happens at work stays at work, | | | | accountable for it. |
| what happens at home stays at home | | | | Rule # 4: Family is always first |
| One of the most important things my husband | | | | Regardless of what goes on at work, family is |
| and I do is make sure that business issues stay | | | | always first. For example, we avoid work on |
| at the workplace and family issues stay at home. | | | | weekends to make sure we do activities together |
| We might have a disagreement at home in the | | | | as a family. If weekend work must be done, it is |
| morning, but when we arrive at work it's like | | | | conducted only after our son goes to bed. |
| nothing has happened. We'll return back to our | | | | Rule # 5: Dedicated time with kids |
| discussion when we get back home. | | | | While I do work a lot of hours, I take time out |
| Rule # 2: Establish clear job roles at home and | | | | three days a week to pick up my son from |
| work. | | | | school and spend the rest of the afternoon with |
| When we started working together, my husband | | | | him. My husband does the same thing the other |
| and I looked at each other's strengths and | | | | two days of the work week. It's great to be able |
| weaknesses in similar fashion to a SWOT | | | | to rely on each other to make sure that business |
| (strength, weakness, opportunity, threat) analysis | | | | gets done while still taking time out for what's |
| for business. From this exercise, we have decided | | | | most important. |
| that I should be the CEO and my husband act in a | | | | Choose your partner wisely. |
| CFO capacity. He has a strong financial | | | | My husband and I were able to make these |
| background, while I'm more the outgoing person | | | | "rules" official for our family by writing them down |
| who likes to get deals done and execute on them. | | | | on paper and signing on it. We now hold each |
| We have defined our business roles and | | | | other accountable for our actions. Most of the |
| responsibilities as a result. | | | | time, actually, we make fun of each other and |
| The same goes at home. I take care of all the | | | | turn it into a fun process for us. |