Afro Posted December 8, 2015 Posted December 8, 2015 So i have been together with my girlfriend for almost a year and we deeply love each other. She works in a normal job and makes decent and I work in the same field but only difference is I am the boss of my own work. I was thinking to joint venture with her in the business where she can use her exceptional skills and build the business with me Is it too risky to do so? She isnt money minded at all but I do think she deserves a lot but than what she currently makes and its difficult for her to find a higher pay job with less experience.
nadzz Posted December 8, 2015 Posted December 8, 2015 I think very few people are able to do this. My sister and her HUSBAND have a business together and it's very successful. However, you are just in a relationship and have no idea what the future holds. I would proceed with caution if I were you. There is truth to the "don't mix business with pleasure" expression. Good luck! 1
d0nnivain Posted December 8, 2015 Posted December 8, 2015 Some people can do it but it's incredibly difficult. You need to be able to separate the business from the personal. If she's not somebody you see yourself marrying I don't think getting into this with her is a good idea because what happens when you break up? If you do this, you both need your own lawyer. She may not want this. You are an entrepreneur. She may not be. Without that drive to be an owner you will both be miserable. I also read an undertone in here where you want to do "what's best for her". It came across to me as a bit patronizing & undercuts any equal partnership because even in your Q you seem to want to be the boss. 2
Glitters Posted December 8, 2015 Posted December 8, 2015 Businesses can flourish of its a solid team. Here, you guys are not business partners but romantic partners. You need to get married then become a team with good foundation else both your romance and business are bound to fail
central Posted December 8, 2015 Posted December 8, 2015 I think it's a bad idea. It may be a bad idea even if you get married, for two reasons: you can still break up eventually, and she'll own part of the business (so, if you do marry, get a prenup, at least); and if your business fails, you both take a financial hit, whereas if she keeps her current or another job, you have income diversity. Besides, she may have benefits that could help you both if you eventually get married. If you really must make this mistake, set up another business jointly, and keep your current business totally separate (and get a prenup).
Standard-Fare Posted December 8, 2015 Posted December 8, 2015 It's not a good idea for most married couples even, which means it's definitely not a good idea for a couple that's been dating for a year. Safer idea: Try out some more informal collaborations to see how well you guys work together. For example, she could take on a certain limited part-time role that wouldn't require her to quit her job. Or she could help out (as a contractor essentially) with a specific short-term project. 2
Michelle ma Belle Posted December 8, 2015 Posted December 8, 2015 Take if from someone whose gone into business many times with different partners - NO! First, dating a year isn't nearly long enough to start mixing business and pleasure. Hell, married couples and family members often can't even make it work! Second, most people aren't able to handle the blending of work and pleasure. Business partners who are also couples often have a hard time escaping work-mode particularly when things are challenging as the lines between work and personal get severely blurred. It takes a really strong couple with clear boundaries and experience and maturity to beat the odds. My advice? Keep it simple and separate. You can help her get something off the ground that's HERS but please do NOT get into business together if you want to remain a couple. Good luck. 1
Wewon Posted December 8, 2015 Posted December 8, 2015 It can work, but there are a lot of variables that come into play that are actually crossways in a romantic relationship and a business relationship. Much like any relationship with a more personal slant to it, there are usually a lot of assumptions being made about how you interact with one another that is not always the way you would expect a business partner to behave. You have to sit down and be honest with yourselves on what would bother you and what you're expecting. Even then I would sit down with a business plan that explicitly states what your respective roles, responsibilities and duties are and how things should be handled.
Mr.D.E.B.T. Posted December 8, 2015 Posted December 8, 2015 If you only want to work with her because you're trying to fix her issue related to being underpaid, don't do it. Your professional partnership will need to be based on something solid if it's going to work. 1
Versacehottie Posted December 8, 2015 Posted December 8, 2015 If you only want to work with her because you're trying to fix her issue related to being underpaid, don't do it. Your professional partnership will need to be based on something solid if it's going to work. Yeah, if you are trying to boost her income, could you give her some small consulting jobs on the side that she could do in conjunction with her real job? I say that very gingerly. My real belief that it is smarter not not mix business and pleasure. I know a few that have worked out and some that haven't of course.
smackie9 Posted December 8, 2015 Posted December 8, 2015 NO!! It's never good to mix pleasure with business like the above poster said. When disagreements arise, it can ruin your relationship or business. When it comes to money that puts a roof over your head, it's not worth the risk.
Redhead14 Posted December 8, 2015 Posted December 8, 2015 So i have been together with my girlfriend for almost a year and we deeply love each other. She works in a normal job and makes decent and I work in the same field but only difference is I am the boss of my own work. I was thinking to joint venture with her in the business where she can use her exceptional skills and build the business with me Is it too risky to do so? She isnt money minded at all but I do think she deserves a lot but than what she currently makes and its difficult for her to find a higher pay job with less experience. What is your intention for the relationship? Do you plan to marry this girl? If so, I would focus on the basic foundation for developing the relationship before bringing another "huge" element into it.
pizzaro Posted December 8, 2015 Posted December 8, 2015 Noooooo. Avoid at ALL costs. Suppress your white knight instincts to save her from her "job". Not everyone is cut out to be an entrepreneur. If you guys break up, you will be saddled with a vindictive person which isn't good for business. Hell, you might even end up losing the business to her if she sues you or whatever legal troubles come up. Just don't do it.
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