"When I tell people that I work with my sister, most are fascinated by the idea. It's not something they see themselves doing, and I get it. I'm not sure I could've seen this coming either, but we are 12 years later, still going strong. We've learned a lot about how to navigate the ups and downs of working with family.
First, make sure you have a shared vision. What do you want out of this business? If one of you wants to stay small and the other dreams of Google-level success, you'll find yourself unable to agree on even fundamental decisions. My sister and I have similar passions and visions for our company. When I suggested that we focus our energies on growing our passion project, Syt Launch (SytLaunch.com), this year, she was 100% on board. A new course, a podcast, and a mentoring program are a lot to manage on top of our web design clients, and if we disagreed on shifting our focus to our military clients, it would be more difficult trying to manage everything.
Two, boundaries and clear communication are key. Maybe you're in a season of life where you have more time than money to invest. That's perfectly fine, as long as you communicate that to your partner and make sure things are still in place to keep the business running smoothly. Set boundaries as needed and remember that work issues shouldn't be made personal and vice versa.
Finally, use all your available resources. One of the advantages of working with a partner is that you can leverage what you do best. But sometimes, there will still be a gap in knowledge. Find the gap, then figure out what resources you'll need to fix it. Also, when there are only two of you, ties are bound to happen, so consider finding an impartial third party for when you need another pair of eyes on a specific situation.
Working with a partner always comes with challenges, even more so when your partner is family. Sometimes it feels like the lines are too blurred between work and home. But with clear boundaries and constant communication, you might find that your built-in business partner is just what you need.
Visit WWW.SYTLAUNCH.COM to learn more.
