SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS AND MARRIAGE
As Biblical Entrepreneurs, it is crucial that we know that marriage is a protected institution before God, and it should take precedence over our business. Many married entrepreneurs, both Christians and non-Christians, find themselves struggling with divorce due to factors such as the business feeling like the “other lover,” drawing the attention of the spouse away from their marriage.
The rate of divorce worldwide has been escalating over the recent years. As Bible-believing Christians, we can all agree that God hates divorce (Malachi 2:16), but what exactly can we do to reduce the risk of divorce as we run a successful business?
DOES BUSINESS SUCCESS REDUCE THE RISK OF DIVORCE?
In reality, business success is not an automatic deterrent to divorce. Whether your spouse is actively involved in the business with you or not, business does create a risk to the marriage, and success can actually increase the risk, but it can be avoided.
The risks include:
- Financial pressures
- The business seems like the other lover
- Increased demands on the spouse’s time
- Increased temptations
- Potentially increased conflict due to the couples trying to figure out how to work together
- Increased division between the spouses, especially if the other spouse is not actively involved in the business
7 KEYS TO MINIMIZING THE RISK OF DIVORCE IN BUSINESS
Here are seven keys to minimizing the risk of divorce in business:
- Make sure that the business fits in God’s plan for your family, not just one of the spouse
- See the business as a family business, not his or hers, even if one of the spouses is not actively involved.
- Have clear rules of engagement between the business and the family
- Have routine meetings to update each other and pray about the business
- Have a clear role for the non-involved spouse, even if it is a passive role
- Identify key activities that the non-involved spouse can be involved in without disrupting the business operation
- Engage the non-involved spouse in some coaching sessions, update each other, and agree on key decisions that will significantly impact the family
To learn more about this topic, join us for our upcoming Couples in Business Global Forum, which will be happening online on February 21, 2024, from 7:00 AM to 9:00 AM PST. You can attend the forum for FREE if you are a paying E-Community Member (Silver E-Community Membership and above). There is a small fee of $25 for Bronze and non-members.
The Global Forum will feature Robert & Kay Lee Fukui, authors of the book Tandem: The Married Entrepreneurs’ Guide for Greater Work-Life Balance. We recently had them on our E-Community Podcast episode with our Chief Servant Office, Patrice Tsague. Click on the video below to watch the full podcast episode:
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