Marrying the person of our dreams is something we all hope for. If that person also happens to be the co-founder of your business, happiness only doubles up. When you go into business with another person, you can only pray for it to be a harmonious, smooth-sailing journey. Partnering up with your spouse, on the other hand, is a whole different scenario.
Some might argue that couples working together isn’t the best plan, but there are many who think otherwise. After all, who else can you trust more than your better half? However, every coin has two sides, and in addition to advantages, there are certain disadvantages of being married to your co-founder as well. Hence, if you’re planning to enter into matrimony with your business partner, it’s best to opt for premarital counseling first.
Let’s take a look at what exactly premarital counseling is, and why couples who own a business together should go for it.
What is Premarital Counseling?
Premarital counseling, such as those offered by platforms like ReGain, is a kind of therapy that is offered to couples who are about to get married. By engaging in premarital counseling, couples are able to understand each other better. They get to explore each other’s strengths, weaknesses, fears, and much more. Not only are they able to evaluate each other through this form of counseling, but also themselves and how they feel about marriage as a whole.
Premarital counseling provides a solid foundation for couples to build their marriage on. When you go for premarital counseling with your future partner, you’re able to identify the existing conflicts and are prepared to solve them in a more cordial manner. Identifying the differences and respecting each other’s opinions are some of the key elements of premarital counseling.
Why Premarital Counseling is Needed When Marrying Your Co-Founder
The benefits of premarital counseling for couples are plenty, and if you’re marrying the person you share a business with, the advantages serve a double purpose. Here are some of the reasons why premarital counseling helps those who run a business together:
1. Better communication
Every marriage needs good communication in order for it to be successful. In the same way, business partners need to be able to communicate openly for their business to grow further. Premarital counseling allows you to nourish your channels of communication with one another.
Not only does this help your relationship, but it also makes sure that you’re both comfortable enough with discussing business matters openly as well. The more you communicate, the lesser disputes you will face in the future with regard to your business.
2. Financial decisions
Being in business together means investing a lot of money together. While you share the profits, you bear the burden of the losses together, too. You and your business partner can often have pretty different views on how much you should invest in your business. When you’re entering into a marriage with your co-founder, having discussions about money becomes crucial. Premarital counseling allows you to have this vital discussion.
The two of you can talk about your vision for your business and how you see it going financially. While money can often be an uncomfortable topic to discuss, it shouldn’t be so if your business partner is also your future life partner. It’s best to discuss financial backgrounds and assets as honestly as possible so that there are no clashes over this in the future.
3. Expectations and ideas
Both you and your partner are bound to have various ideas and expectations regarding your business. When you go for premarital counseling, you can explore these expectations and see where the similarities and differences lie. It will give you the option to see the ideas you have regarding several aspects of your business, such as marketing, sales, and so on.
4. Get an objective point of view
There could be things you’re a little afraid or embarrassed to discuss with your partner, not only because you work together, but because you’re also about to be married. Going to a premarital counselor enables you to receive a third perspective from someone who can give you an honest, objective opinion. At times this new perspective could help you talk about things you have so far been apprehensive about discussing, while also allowing your discussions to get more transparent and comfortable.
