Married to the trade

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vilasman

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While some of you probably have real mellow businesses that dont require you to spend all day working, all your evenings doing paper work and your weekends trying to let go of what you did during the week if you are lucky and working if you are not.

But for those of you that don't have an easy going operation, how did you/your wife handle you being married to your trade?
 
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vilasman said:
While some of you probably have real mellow businesses that dont require you to spend all day working, all your evenings doing paper work and your weekends trying to let go of what you did during the week if you are lucky and working if you are not.

But for those of you that don't have an easy going operation, how did you/your wife handle you being married to your trade?
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Vilsman, You have to make your wife part of the business, such as your secretary and once in while take her out to lunch, and maybe sometimes you might get lucky for a nooner:D :D :D . Iv'e been married to this same women now for 38 years and still loving it. IMHO
 
vilasman said:
how did you/your wife handle you being married to your trade?
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My wife has no trouble with my work. She has trouble when I say I'm doing my paperwork in the evening but am instead reading the Forum, and then still have to do my paperwork afterwards. :)
 
Wifes involved in the business so it's been ok and it's helps her understand what I have to do. Besides it was her idea for me to do it, kind of a get out of jail free card.
 
I find I can never let it go, to an extent. Not weekends, holidays, or vacations. But there are benefits, too. I just take the good with the bad.
 
One of the most difficult parts of having your office at home is that the office is always there. You have to find away to get away from it, but I feel your pain, As far as my relationship with my wife and the business she knows I am a man and that men are always married to their work when they love what they are doing. You have to make her feel that you are not cheating on her with your time at work even if that work is in the home. as much as we all know everything must get done find some of it you can put down for a while and show her the attention she needs from you. It gets better as you find ways to organize your time. hang in there.
 
On a more serious note about juggling self-employment and a spouse:

One thing I do is cook. No matter how busy I am on any given day or how worn out I may be at the end of the work day, when my wife gets home from work she has a hot, home-cooked meal either waiting for her or in progress. It's something I do to make sure she knows that I'm married to something besides my job. :) Dinner time is basically inviolable except for real emergencies, we eat together and she's not left stranded by my real or imagined work load for at least an hour and a half every evening.

Even if you're busier than heck, I recommend making time at that fairly crucial point in the day and just walking away from your responsibilities for a spell. Then get back to them later. It's good for you, but it's even better for your marriage.
 
Vilas, I have a kind of different situation. I started my company about 15 years ago from the back of a pickup. My wife who has been with me 10 years is a licensed master electrician or electricianette in Texas. She runs jobs along with the office. She just finished a 63 room hotel project is working on an apartment complex now and does a through job at all projects she is given.

I often complain about how much she works. I tell her it is lonely staying at home watching soap operas and sleeping most of the afternoon by myself. Most of my day is spent on this forum looking for support. She insists on working, she often gives me this " well, do you want to sit around and snuggle all day or do you want the bills paid" line. Does she not realize that men have feelings too !!

I need to find some kind of support group for " over the hill male electricians who's wives have taken over their businesses". From what research I have done so far I think I may be the charter member. I wonder if Dr. Phil can help me?
 
I was averaging 80 plus hours a week, between regular 40 hour work, and our off hour scheduled work (we do maintenance and testing). Then the test reports for this work.

My marriage suffered, but I am sure no matter what I did my marriage would have suffered, I am a type "A" personality, I have always worked long hours whether in business or working for someone else.

Thank goodness my wife is a SAINT PLUS, she GC'd our house, raised 4 wonderful kids, kept our bills straight, and tolerated me.

After my heart attack last fall she road me hard to slow down and it is working. I finally started to delegate, I hired 2 assistants one to manage the men and quote the jobs, one to do reports and follow up. I am now working maybe 60 hours a week but that seems to be creeping up again.
 
dduffee260 said:
I often complain about how much she works. I tell her it is lonely staying at home watching soap operas and sleeping most of the afternoon by myself. ..I wonder if Dr. Phil can help me?
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I knew there was a reason for hanging out here. Laughing so hard must be good for the heart.
 
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