You know how you thought that owning a successful business would give you the freedom and lifestyle you wanted for you and your family? And now you’re having doubts that you can make it a reality. You aren’t ready to give up, but you’re feeling guilty about the toll it’s taking on your family. You’re afraid that your partner is going to throw in the towel, and you’ll lose everything you’ve worked for – both your family AND your business.

You feel guilty about missing family events, never having time to tackle the “honey-do” list, you miss special moments (like putting the kids to bed) and you don’t even discuss vacations anymore. Sound familiar? You feel stuck in your business, and unable to scale it in such a way that would allow you to focus your time on strategy.  You’re feeling unappreciated at home, misunderstood and frustrated. 

And that was before the global pandemic hit!

What if instead, you proactively put a plan in place for your business to not only run with or without you, but to thrive in your absence. Instead of rebuilding the business you had before, it’s time to intentionally build your dream business. By being more mindful of the decisions you make now, and the repercussions they could have on your family, you could drastically reduce the risk of relationship challenges along the way, ensure that you maintain a healthy energy level and get back to experiencing the joy in each day. 

What would that mean to you? If you were no longer carrying the burden of “worrying” about your business. What if I told you – you could dramatically improve your business revenues and your personal relationships, while reducing the requirement to be at work every day –  would it sound too good to be true? We have seen clients first hand get proactive and implement our strategies to start living with more intention, family engagement, and joy than they have seen in years.

So, how do you build strong personal relationships and a thriving successful business at the same time? You design your very own collection of best practices and routines (for both your business and family) that promote communication, education and shared success.

COMMUNICATION |  Clearly and frequently!

1. Commit to a communication routine that follows a regular agenda. Think of it as a family leadership meeting.

Learn from the Past

• • • • What should we be celebrating from last week?
      • Are there any roadblocks or challenges have we overcome?
      • Did we learn any lessons?

Be in the Present

• • • What are we grateful for?
    • What’s going on in each other’s roles?
    • Where can we help / support each other?

Plan for the Future

• • • What’s going on this week in business?
    • What’s on the schedule this week for the family?
    • How might we manage through bumps this week?
    • Anything coming up in the next 4 weeks that we need to get ready for?

What commitments are you making to your partner this week? Write these down and start your next meeting by reviewing the status of these commitments.

2. Dig into the details for activities, events and commitments so that expectations are clear.

• • Timing / scheduling
  • Financial details – cost / investment / financing activities
  • Support / help
  • Logistics

EDUCATION | Educate yourself about your partner!

If a topic is interesting to your partner, it needs to be something that you understand enough to be able to have a conversation about it, or be able to explain to someone else.

1. You can start by learning about each other’s interests, roles, industries or vocation:

• • Learn more by talking to each other! Understand “a day in the life” of one another. What does a great day look like? What are the challenges that each of you are working through?
  • Start by conducting online research. Look at industry associations, articles, organizations, competitors, industry related magazines, subscribe to newsletters, listen to podcasts or watch videos. Take it all in!
  • Our favourite? Learn together! Why not sign up for a class or course together? A great way to spend some quality time with one another.

SHARED SUCCESS |  Shared goals, a shared vision and shared success are fundamental keys to keeping any couple in alignment. 

1. Remind yourself of your family purpose and how each of you work towards contributing to achieving that purpose – both individually and together.
2. Share your wins and successes at your family leadership meeting. (You might need to remind your partner!) When one of you succeeds, the family succeeds together.

At the end of the day, you are partners in life and in business. Regardless of who owns what! A healthy, happy partnership and a successful business are not mutually exclusive. If you seek to further your shared vision, the time to start is now!

Family business experts, like Provision Business Advisors, exist to provide mentorship, help business owners and family leaders develop a holistic skillset, and hold the very same individuals accountable for their business and family matters.