How To Start A Home Based Business Successfully With Your Spouse

Here are 5 tips that will help you to work at home successfully with your spouse.

1. You must be open to accepting constructive criticism.
Just because the source of the criticism is your spouse that does not mean that it is not valid and beneficial. Ideally any business related criticism should come during the specific time that you have set aside to discuss business issues and not when you are planning a romantic night for two!

2. Learn to separate business issues from family and marriage issues when you start a home based business.
It is never a good idea to merge these two issues together if you want a good business and marriage. You are two separate people with two separate opinions. However, it is not necessary to allow those separate opinions to cause unnecessary conflict with your marriage. It is also not necessary to bring up issues that have nothing to do with the business during times that you are running your business as well.

3. You and your spouse should have a certain time every few months or so where you meet outside of the house to strategize for the business.
This allows the two of you to meet in a different environment. There are a number of locations that will work for this type of meeting, such as a nice restaurant, a quiet lounge or bar, a hotel and more.

4. Avoid business discussions during the time set aside for dating.
Spouses should continue to date each other and this is not the time to discuss business even if you both enjoy it. This is the time to be together as a couple.

5. Look for opportunities to attend business conferences together. Schedule an additional day after the conference to decide how you are going to apply the lessons learned or incorporate the networking relationships you built. Having your spouse will keep you more focused instead of partying all of the time.

When you start a home based business with your spouse it can be a rewarding and fun event, but it is important that you make sure that you keep your relationship strong both while working and outside of working.

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Copyright Stephen Beck, 2009
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Stephen Beck shows families how to sell their knowledge. Go get his free website traffic report at http://www.familyebiz.com/blog/ so you can start today.