7 things to consider before starting a business with your life-partner

In sickness and in health. In business and in wealth.

Starting a business with your life-partner probably seems like a no-brainer right? You’ll be working the longest hours with someone you consider your personal ocean of calm, who knows you by the rote and who will help you make the right decisions at the right times.

Waking up to the sunshine and gathering your notes, pens and laptops to brainstorm in your froggy pyjamas may seem like all you could ask for…but there’s always a flipside to consider.

As the saying goes, mixing your two worlds may not be the best idea. The line dividing the two will become a dot and before you know it, you won’t know where the romance ends and the business begins!

So, before you sprint past the point of no return, here’s a list of things you need to consider before you start a business with your better half.

• Do we have the same goal?

The most important thing to note down before you jump any further, is what do you both want out of this? Do you guys have the same ten-year plan? Would you want to expand? Driving towards the same goal is the make or break factor in any business partnership, so consider this a make or break factor in this equation. List up!

• Do we work well together?

Being mentally, emotionally and physically compatible is a far cry from being professionally compatible. Clash in opinions of a particular cuisine or dish will, methods and execution. Make sure that you are in the same category as your partner, to prevent a possible battle of the exes.

• You take A, I’ll cover B.

If you’re looking to work with your partner on many projects, it is important to know how to delegate duties per efficiency. If you are the creative one, then learn to take-over that side of the business, while your partner can gladly manoeuvre the tech. And everybody wins!

• Why’d you have to be so rude

Learn to take constructive criticism from each other. You will need to keep the communication lines open at all times and all the temper tantrums and personal ways of getting your way inside your relationship need to be kept out

• Dom and Sub.

No, we aren’t talking about some 50 Shades of Grey fantasy, but be clear on a No-Dom-Sub partnership in the work space. You both are equals in this firm, no matter who wears the skirt in the relationship.

• That which should not be named.

Give yourselves a breather. Mark the office space in your house and walk around it. Take occasional plunges outside the circle, because you need to take breaks from your work so you remember your lives beyond the office. Remember romance? Kick back with a bottle of her favourite red wine and have The Godfather streamed. Take a pause on the take-outs and venture out for dinner. Plan a getaway! Remember each other.

It’s human nature to get sick of too much of the same thing. It is perfectly natural to have too much of each other, from work mornings to exhausting all-nighters. It’s good for you two to indulge in separate, individual hobbies. If he’s taking photography lessons, you can join kick-boxing classes! If he’s picking up recipes off youtube, you can attend a poetry-slam! Do your own thing, take a break from reality and then re-coop. Nothing like a few hours of Wordsworth to clear your mind.

If you are willing to make all these major factors in your work and personal lives – you will be able to ensure that you sustain your relationship and business well.

(Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of YourStory)