by Joyce Brewer
If it wasn’t for my husband’s support, my video and social media business would never have gotten off the ground in 2010. My husband is the videographer for my parenting talk show when we shoot it on-location at businesses in Atlanta. Plus he shares the duties of caring for two year old son when I work from home, meet clients or spend hours at Starbucks.
Don’t get me wrong. We are not Cliff & Claire from The Cosby Show. Things don’t always run smoothly around our house or with my business, but I wanted to share: “5 Ways to Support Your Spouse When They Start a Business” because some have worked for us.
1. Offer a suggestion or interesting article.
If your spouse is starting their business alone as a solo entrepreneur they’ve got a huge workload themselves. A simple way to support them is to offer a helpful suggestion, not a criticism, for their business. Maybe you read an article that relates to what they do. E-mail it, tweet it, forward it to them or even clip it out and leave it on your spouse’s desk with an encouraging note.
My husband gave me a great suggestion about my talk show that features moms as guests. He suggested I do the talk show with dads instead, which sparked the idea for a Father’s Day campaign I created.
2. Pitch in around the house and with the kids.
Honestly, this is something I’m working on with my husband because he’s not a fan of housework. But it is helpful and can relieve stress if you take on an extra household chore or two while your spouse is focusing on their business.
This tip is especially important if your spouse has started a business part-time while working a full-time job.
3. Be patient.
Most new businesses don’t make enough in their first year to turn a profit. Avoid asking too many questions about how much money they’re bringing in or what rates they are charging for products or services, unless your spouse brings up the topic.
4. Be positive.
There will be days when your spouse will question if they made the right decision to start a business. Keep your conversations about their business positive and solution-oriented, instead of making doom and gloom comments about the economy.
5. Watch this video for the next suggestion.
About the Author
Joyce Brewer is a wife, mom and Emmy award-winning TV journalist living in Atlanta. In her 15 year career, Joyce landed a one-on-one interview with Oprah and appeared on The View twice. In 2010, Joyce created MommyTalkShow.com to connect Atlanta moms with family-friendly businesses using the marketing power of video and social media. Life as a work at home mom inspired Joyce to write an e-book, Use What You Know: A Business Idea Guide for Moms, featuring more than 40 business ideas moms can start from home. Follow Joyce’s parenting show on Twitter @MommyTalkShow and Facebook.com/MommyTalkShow.