Treat your marriage like a business

Marriage is work, you are a partner with someone else and your family business is your family. And just like any other company in the world organizing your family business correctly in the beginning matters:

• Sole Proprietorship
• Partnerships
• Limited Liability Company
• Corporations (multiple variations)
• Non Profits

All have configurations and benefits that are uniquely perfect for each business or family business.  Roles and egos have to be left at the door when comes to the family business.  Everyone can not be the boss to every issue that arises in the family business, accountability, trust and transparency are essential.  Being on the same page for the sake of the family business is important.  Putting subject matters in departments such as religion, cooking, cleaning, schooling, book keeping & shopping matters when it comes down to accountability.  Never take for granted that your partner understands their responsibility or role in your family structure.  What could be thought to be understood, can lead to big misunderstandings.

Each business structure has there own set of rules and for each household what may work for one family, may in fact  not work for other families.  A successful marriage isn’t a competition with others in your inner circle, nor should measuring what others have and accomplished.  This is known as the “Keeping up with the Jones”.  Your family business should always be looked at as your family business.  If you opened up a restaurant you wouldn’t share your recipes with your competitors, so you shouldn’t give everyone all your family business & secrets.  As partners you need to learn to be transparent and trust and trust that your partner is being transparent.  When things aren’t working in the family business the only way to correct the ship is saying what is wrong.

Run your family business like a company, by setting up weekly meetings.  These meeting can be ideal times air our grievances, go over bills, set goals, recap the week or what ever applies to you and your household.  This could be done in the home or on a date but keeping everyone accountable for their actions and decisions on the family brand matters.  Same address, one heart beat.

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