At the onset, when my husband Mark and I entered into a partnership related with full time working hours, in our business, I had envisaged that the prospect would be quite appealing. I felt that we were the people who were suited for this kind of job. My husband and I shared a strong bond that was forged due to mutual trust and respect for one another. Moreover, we did not have a communication gap.  We also had similar beliefs, related to our work. We had always shared the responsibility of looking after the children, maintaining the house in a proper manner as well as with the business, and this was an unspoken need. We had jointly decided that if there were to be any changes related with our income, we would devise ways to ensure that problems related with finances would be minimal. However, in spite of all my preparations, I was unprepared for what was to occur.

For people who wish to embark on a working relationship with your better half, there are 3 requisite limitations that have been especially formulated for Entrepreneurial Couples which would ensure that the shift is enabled in a comparatively smooth way.

1. You should confirm the expectations for the workplace or your home.

Even if you think that you are prepared for it, there is nothing on earth that can mentally prepare you to experience the obliteration of boundaries and the turf simultaneously, that happens when you and your spouse initiate the change and start working together. As you initiate a new process of working with your spouse, it is quite likely that you as well as your spouse have had a successful stint, in your respective careers, and have thus inculcated your own inimitable style of working. All of a sudden there is an entirely different dynamic that occurs between you and your better half, and this something that you have to face, although you are unprepared for it. I was always aware of the fact that we were two distinct people who had separate gifts as well as aptitude. Mark is a person who is aware of the latest developments pertaining to technology, and he is a proficient writer as well, whereas I am an extrovert and an administrative expert, at the same time. Although I should have been prepared for it, yet I was unprepared to witness the drastic differences related with our particular work styles.  I am a whiz at doing several tasks simultaneously, throughout the day, whereas my partner focuses on just a single project at any given point of time.  In order to ensure a harmonious working relationship, it was imperative for my husband and me to put in additional effort towards realising each other, on a separate level altogether and this was akin to what we had been subjected to, as newlyweds.

The initiator of the Boca Beth Program is Beth Butler and she has certain useful tips that would aid in confirming your level of expectation, with your partner. She states that she cooks lunch on a daily basis and it is during that period that a discussion is initiated pertaining to important BOCA BETH items. This is the time for them to rediscover each other, and her partner works from the house, as a representative of his wine company, and she works from home which enables her to distribute her love for second language learning, with her youthful pupils. It may sound like an unusual combination, but in reality, it is quite effective. Furthermore there are discussions related with the next day’s planning, as a result of which there is an absence of the element of surprise, and this is also the time when she asks her husband for help, in any aspect. She feels that it would be unrealistic of her to expect that her spouse would be familiar with all her needs, thus she has learned to state her requirements in a definite manner.

2. There should be a particular time that is allotted for the purpose of love

It is a normal thing for a majority of the entrepreneurial couples to protest about insufficient time together at present, as compared with the past. You could work with your partner, in the office throughout the day, without uttering a single personal statement. It is surely not a Herculean task to switch off your mobile phone and go for a long walk with your partner, in a bid to rediscover yourself. You must necessarily plan some time for rekindling that spark in your relationship, and ensuring that your business demands do not surpass the time that you can spend together. Mark and I plan in advance that we would slip away for lunch or alternatively, grab a coffee at Starbucks. It has been observed that if the lunch or the coffee break is not scheduled amidst the deadlines or the pending projects, then it is never going to happen. We have not been able to accomplish mastery in the art of organising “regular dates”, amidst our packed schedule, however that is the next step that is high on the list of priorities and this is essential if we are to sustain this level of proximity in the relationship.

3. It is essential to plan some time for yourself.

It is alarming if you find that you are spending a lot of time with your partner, all of a sudden. Prior to the change in schedule, your partner left for work at 7 in the morning and returned home at 6, in the evening, after which you were able to sit down for dinner and discuss the day’s events, at leisure. In a startling twist, you are spending a considerable amount of time with your partner, and when you sit down for dinner, you find that there is very little that you can talk with them, regarding new events. This leads us to the inevitable question as to where is the time for yourself, during this entire period? Karyn Fagan, Founder of Team Women, states that both she and her spouse have hobbies that they are attached to, out of the house, and they utilise that time for the integral away time period.

It is true that both my partner Mark and I have a lot to accomplish as an Entrepreneurial Couple, however we have crossed the stage that is associated with the entrepreneurial “honeymoon”. We work together in harmony everyday to attain our ambitions and fulfill our dreams. It is an unspoken yet understood fact that when we render aid to each other, we would be able to accomplish our dreams faster than we had realised, thus we help one another in whichever sphere it is necessary.