One of the things we talk about often when it comes to business partners is the timing of difficult discussions.  This is especially important when those business partners are also life partners because you’re going to be seeing this person after work as well.  The last thing you want to do is let things that happened at work impact what happens at home.  But hey, we’re all human.  And sometimes our emotions and best intentions can get in the way.

We’ve been blessed to coach dozens of couples who are also business partners over the years.  One of the areas we focus hard on when one spouse is considering jumping in to join the business is making sure we protect the personal relationship.  One of the ways we do that is by focusing on what happens if things don’t work out.  More specifically we talk about what it looks like if things aren’t working out or if that spouse is starting to drown and needs help or wants to tap out.

If you’ve been in business with your significant other for more than a year, we can guarantee there have been situations where your partner is drowning and you haven’t been quite sure how to help.  One of the reasons is that you’re worried about what’s going to happen when we get home.  But like any other relationship, it’s often best not to let things fester too long.

So here are some tips for how to know when it’s time to jump in to help:

Whatever your particular situation, don’t wait too long to take on these challenges when you notices you spouse is drowning in the business.  We’ve seen it happen too often when one or both fail, the business and the personal relationship.  It doesn’t have to be that way and knowing when and how to jump in to save your drowning partner is key to your success.