Should Couples Mix Business with Pleasure?

[babywings76]

I have a potential recruit that I need some advice with. She works with my husband and has spoken with him about things, but I haven't chatted with her yet about details. We are trying to make arrangements to meet up. She is engaged and both she and her fiance really want to pursue this. From what my husband says, she plans to do the parties & her future husband will handle the business end of things. I don't know if he plans to attend the parties or not.

Any advice for me? What things do I need to address? Are you familiar with other consultants that team up with a partner for their business and how they run it? I just want to be prepared when I meet with them. I'm not sure what questions they will have for me, aside from regular questions that we cover in typical recruiting interviews.

 

[ChefCKHall]

Hi! I have a husband/wife team on my team. The wife is the consultant. You can only sign up one of the two as the consultant so have to talk through this with them. Who has the time to commit? Who gets to go to trainings (ie Director Express, National Conference).

The team I work with...the wife is the consultant but her husband goes with her to shows and, though they are both out-going, he does a lot of the talking through the demo. She does as well and loves PC. However, he is going to pharm tech school and cannot commit the hours she can. So she is the consultant. He does not hand tools to guests to try, she does. He does a lot of the background work and talks, she does the handing of tools to folks and is 'the consultant' (because of demo insurance)

She has gone through Director Express and is going to National Conference.

Does that help?

 

[babywings76]

Thanks CK! Yeah, it's just the girl who plans to sign, so we're good there. I'm just not sure how they split duties if it turns out the guy isn't going to the shows. What things can he do to help her on the business end of things?

 

[NooraK]

He can do administrative things: Create host packets, recruiting packets, run off copies, write emails. He could even make follow up phone calls, as long as she makes sure she lets her guests and leads know that she works her business with her husband, and he might be the one to call.

 

[ChefNelson]

My husband and I do this together (though, lately, it's mostly me!). When we do shows he covers info on the cookware and forged cutlery (his favorites) and basically brings the guy's perspective to the conversation (it makes the men who get 'dragged' to the shows loosen up!). He's also the kit carrier and often schleps our stuff in the house while I get things set up for the show. It's great to have two of us there so that he can talk to the host, get her excited and be an extra set of hands to work out any issues before things get started while I get organized.He also helps spreading the word about our business, talking to leads about hosting shows, passing catalogs to folks, and raving about new products we try or recipes we make on Facebook. We've had many people comment that it's fun to see a husband and wife having fun together doing something like this. And it's fun for us ... plus, we love all of the things we've accumulated for our own kitchen, the extra income is a blessing, and we now have a 'job' where we can spend time together. (And, I've noticed he does the dishes more often now!)

 

[ChefCKHall]

My husband and I do this together (though, lately, it's mostly me!). When we do shows he covers info on the cookware and forged cutlery (his favorites) and basically brings the guy's perspective to the conversation (it makes the men who get 'dragged' to the shows loosen up!). He's also the kit carrier and often schleps our stuff in the house while I get things set up for the show. It's great to have two of us there so that he can talk to the host, get her excited and be an extra set of hands to work out any issues before things get started while I get organized.

He also helps spreading the word about our business, talking to leads about hosting shows, passing catalogs to folks, and raving about new products we try or recipes we make on Facebook.

We've had many people comment that it's fun to see a husband and wife having fun together doing something like this. And it's fun for us ... plus, we love all of the things we've accumulated for our own kitchen, the extra income is a blessing, and we now have a 'job' where we can spend time together. (And, I've noticed he does the dishes more often now!)

Same reason my husband/wife team do this! They love to cook and love to spend time together...this is fun for them!

 

[winklermom]

Same reason my husband/wife team do this! They love to cook and love to spend time together...this is fun for them!

Both DH and I love to cook and enjoy spending time together. However, try as I might, I haven't been able to convince him to help me. He loves the PC products and its a MUCH better salesman than I'll ever be! I've mentioned it several times but this past Friday it came up on our date night and I've decided not to even bring up the subject again. What I had thought was that if he could help get parties booked and then just go to the parties, help me get unloaded and then reloaded and then talk about what he likes with the products (especially if there are men there), perhaps it would work but he just flat shot it down Friday night. He said that it's just not something in which he's interested.

I'm seriously disappointed because I feel like my business would be so much better if we worked it together.