Copreneurs - Couples in Business - The Warning Signs Of Danger Ahead!

For couples in business (copreneurs) the already challenging terrain of running a company can be complicated by their personal lives being intertwined with their company life.

Open and honest communication is critical to making it work and it’s likely they will need to improve their ways of relating to each other.

One very typical scenario that occurs with copreneurs is when one partner loses their passion for the business and is afraid to say so. In normal circumstances, if this were any other job they could just leave, but it’s much more complicated when you feel your marriage, family and livelihood are at stake.

Business partners should always discuss and agree expectations and possible exit strategies right at the beginning of a venture but they very often don’t because they’re so caught up in all the excitement of creating their new enterprise. They’re so full of dreams and ambitions that they don’t stop to consider what will happen if these dreams and ambitions change ... and they do!

Couples who are running a company together are especially susceptible to this, perhaps because of the 'forever after' aspect to their relationship. However, there will inevitably be times when difficult situations and potential conflicts arise - so it pays to talk about how you will handle these before they occur.

Here are some typical red flags that signify things aren’t going well in a copreneur partnership:

* You’re not happy at work.
* You’ve lost sight of your original goals and don’t know why you’re in business
* You find yourself avoiding certain conversations and the confrontation they may provoke
* You start to keep your true feelings to yourself
* You have feelings of resentment and discontent
* You often feel angry or have emotional outbursts
* You work hard to please your partner, at the expense of your own needs
* You avoid making decisions, or you make decisions without consultation with partner
* You’ve taken your attention off your own self-care
* Your sex life has dropped off or is non-existent
* You don’t feel as though your partner listens to you
* Your arguments revolve around resentment and blame
* One partner feels like they’re carrying the load of the business
* You procrastinate
Couples in business certainly do face added challenges, however, successful copreneurs are quick to notice any of the red flags listed above and address them before they harm their relationship (personal and/or professional).