© 2002 Elena Fawkner

I'm sure you've heard this dreaded statistic before: failure rate of all start-up businesses is around 90% mark. Add to that further distinctly unpleasant fact that roughly 50% of all marriages end in divorce and you can quickly see that odds of your new small business succeeding, already slim, become positively anorexic if you run your business in partnership with your spouse.

So, what are some of key challenges faced by newly entrepreneurial couples and what can YOU do to reduce chances of becoming a statistic?

RELATIONSHIP

A structure is only as strong as foundation upon which it's built. If you're in business with your spouse, foundation of your structure is relationship. That needs to be like bedrock before you even *contemplate* starting a business together.

Make sure you honestly assess your commitment to business and to each other up front. Do you share same family values and desires? Do you plan to have (more) children? If so, how do you accommodate family responsibilities and build a business at same time?

Discuss these issues before they arise. The last thing you, your business, your relationship or your family needs are nasty surprises. If you simply assume your spouse will cut back on business and assume lion's share of parenting responsibilities, think again. Your spouse may be making same assumption ... about you!

Preserve and nurture what's led you to where you are today: your relationship with each other. And that may not be as easy as it sounds.

At least in early days of business, your relationship will need to thrive on a lack of quality 'couple' time or, indeed, any time at all! It is by no means unusual for new business owners to be working 16 hours a day, 7 days a week to get their businesses off ground. That's one very important reason why your relationship needs to be in good shape before you go into business together. You don't want to be subjecting a relationship in trouble to that sort of pressure.

Look for ways to retain romantic intimacy. When you're working 16/7 that won't happen by itself. One good idea is to schedule 'dates' on a regular basis. Even once a week can make all difference. Just make sure you don't use time to talk shop. This is supposed to be romantic time for two of you as a couple. Tomorrow's time to discuss business and it will be here soon enough!

You can, I'm sure, think of many other ways to keep romance alive. Start little rituals, such as candlelight dinner breaks, for example. The important thing is to always stay aware of this area of your relationship and don't let it slide, no matter how absorbed you both become in your new business.

You'll probably find you take it in turns being vigilant in this area.

DIVISION OF RESPONSIBILITY

It is absolutely crucial that each of you has your own clearly defined areas of sole responsibility. Any business needs one and only one person to make a final decision. This doesn't mean that one person makes all decisions, it just means that one person makes final decision in his or her area of sole responsibility.

Start by allocating business responsibilities between you and having a very clear understanding that each of you has final decision-making authority in your respective areas. Under no circumstances should you encroach on your partner's area of responsibility and/or override his or her decisions. Start doing that and cracks WILL begin to appear, I kid you not! Sure, consult each other when making decisions. That's what business partners do, after all. But ultimate decision-making authority must rest with one who has overall responsibility for relevant area of business.

The business is not only area where responsibility needs to be divided. Don't forget to allocate responsibility for household chores and parenting responsibilities. Who is to do grocery shopping, laundry, cleaning and bill payments?

COMMUNICATION

Each of you should treat other just as you would a respected colleague outside business. So show each other same respect, courtesy, appreciation and gratitude that you would show any valued co-worker.

No matter how well people get along, disagreements about certain aspects of business are inevitable. And just as in any other business, what is important is how those disagreements are resolved.

A clear agreement on division of responsibility is a very good start and having already agreed that one of you has final decision-making authority in your respective areas means that there is always a means for resolution of disagreement - a final decision. Otherwise you'd find yourselves going around in circles, unable to agree, until finally one of you would take matters into your own hands out of frustration or you'd simply do nothing. And that's bad for business and bad for your relationship.

When you finally do meet him he will reveal a great secret to you. The secret……that inside of you is power that will attract everything in life you want. And, also repel it. Yuk.

This force on inside of you has two faces. One has ability to attract wealth, success, happiness, love; And other....., has power to rob you of all your dreams.

One face of this power is what enables some people to climb ladder of success and stay there all their lives. The other face, of this power, keeps some people at bottom of ladder all their lives. And, that same face is what drags some people down from top of ladder to bottom.

Every adversity has seed of a Greater Benefit!

Oh yea, I hear some of you saying.. Listen, it's ok to sit on your pity pot now and then. Just remember to flush thing when you're done. :>)

Let me give you an example. There was a little kid known as Clem Labine. In his day he was a great baseball pitcher. But, even while he was a youngster, he had a dream of playing baseball. One day an accident broke his index finger on his throwing hand.

It never did heal correctly and was crooked from that time on. Well, Clem thought his baseball days were over. He became very discouraged.

His coach told him that some things that appear to be disasters turn out to be blessings in disguise. It all depends on which FACE manifest's itself in troubles that come your way.

Clem took his coach's advice and kept on playing. Soon he discovered that crooked finger allowed him to throw wickedest curve ball that no other pitcher possessed ability to throw.

All of a sudden, remember what we talked about in first paragraph? "Suddenly"!! Clem met most important person in his life. He met power inside of him that would destine him for greatness. He met Barney Fife. Nah……..you know I'm kidding.

Well, at that moment, Clem decided to flush his pity pot face. And when he did, he rose back to top of ladder just as surely as other face had taken him to bottom. It all began with a change of attitude. I'm not minimizing hard work, dedication, and constant effort he put forth. But, none of that would have been his salvation without a change of face.

The most important lesson he learned was this: You ready? It's simple. He learned to always look for GOOD in his unfortunate situations. ATTITUDE. If you're looking for good, you will find what you're looking for. I trust it's self-explanatory about looking through eyes of your other face.

Ok, It's time to set prisoner free.