Have you ever done wallpapered with your spouse before? How about working together on a big project? Some may have rosy memories, but for most of us, working with our spouses sometimes can be a hair-raising experience. This article talks about 9 critical success factors that entrepreneurial spouses can work together to make their business a smashing success.

If things aren't going as smoothly as you'd like, here are 9 success tips that you can implement immediately and boost your results:

1.Treat All Distractions Equally
•If you or your spouse want to quit because it's sunny and head to the beach, think twice! A true small business entrepreneur realizes that all distractions are created equal (good ones or bad ones)--they are distractions from your financial success! Remember - spouses can be mighty convincing. Weigh your actions before mowing the grass or taking the day off and decide which activities are ways to make money from home.

2. Lose Your Ego
•For all this advice to work, you need to loose your ego
•In order to get the best product possible (e.g., a proposal or report, etc.), you have to be willing to accept advice and suggestions from your partner at home in the same spirit that you would from a co-worker in an office. There is no room for egos!
•You cannot allow your personal relationship to affect the productivity of the business. You must put the business ahead of your ego at all cost.
•Accept the fact that your partner is more talented than you in some areas and milk it for all it's worth.

3. Define Each Others' Roles
•Boost your levels of efficiency and productivity by defining your exact
roles within the perimeters of the office
•Who's the planner and the captain of the ship?
•Who's the front man--the person the public deals with on a regular basis?
•Who keeps the financial records?
•Who does the filing, and so on?

4.Set Times to Deal with Family and Work Topics
•Set specific times for discussion or problem solving in the different areas of your life (e.g., don't talk shop when you're trying to make supper and the kids are screaming).
•If you were working in an office away from home, would you be running home to discipline little Johnny for pulling little Jane's hair?
•Make sure that everyone in the home knows and understands when you are working and when you are available to be Mom/Dad or Husband/Wife

5. Divide and Conquer
•When problems arise or fires need to be put out, team up and decide who's suited to do what
•Take the "you tackle that and I'll tackle this" approach. Then trust that your partner will deal with it properly. Don't look over eachothers' shoulders.

6. Respect Each Other's Workspace
•There's nothing more frustrating than being in the middle of a prospecting call and having a spouse barge in and write notes to you or try to get an answer to something while your talking.
•Bring down the stress levels a notch by respecting each other's workspace and activities within that space.

7. Use Each Other's Talents
•What skill sets does each person have that best serves the business (e.g., technical, computers, Internet, human relations, phone calls, record keeping, etc.)
•Once areas of expertise are established, respect each others' areas and let the person assigned be in charge of that area

8. See Things For What They Are
•Recognize that you and your spouse have a great chance to spend more time with your family and have a successful home-based business at the same time
•Use both sets of talents to achieve the level of financial success you are looking for rather than driving yourselves and the business to the ground by petty arguing and disagreements.
•Keep in mind that if you were working in an office downtown, you couldn't take your spouse with you. But, by working at home, you are fortunate to have access to his or her abilities and talents whenever you need them and for the benefit of your own business. Make the most of it!

9. Move Your Office to a "Separate" Space
•Get it out of the main part of the home
•Don't make your office in the last available space in your home
•Choose a comfortable place, e.g., not in the furnace room
•Put it somewhere with minimal family distractions, e.g., not in the corner of the family room
•Don't under-estimate the need for your own workspace.

Whether it's a home-based Internet business, or a product-oriented home-based business idea, the earning potential when working with your spouse can be phenomenal. After all, who is your biggest fan, supporter and even works overtime? Enjoy this extra time together that you have been given. It's a gift!

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