Photos and Story by Jillian Harman
Marriages can be challenging enough. But when couples also work together, it can be a balancing act.
Running a business is a rewarding yet challenging endeavor, and when spouses join forces as couplepreneurs, they embark on a unique journey that blends entrepreneurship with personal partnership. The rise of couple-owned businesses has become a notable trend in recent years, with many couples finding fulfillment in both their professional and personal lives.
Taking the Plunge
The phenomenon of couple-owned businesses has gained significant traction. According to a 2020 study by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, approximately 3.7 million businesses in the United States were jointly owned by married couples, representing approximately 28% of all non-farm businesses.
Challenges
While working together as a couple can be highly rewarding, it also presents a unique set of challenges, including:
Blurred Boundaries: Separating work and personal life can be challenging, as the lines between professional and personal responsibilities often blur. This can lead to constant work-related discussions, which may strain the personal relationship.
Communication Struggles: Effective communication is vital for any successful business, but it is even more critical when couples are involved. Miscommunication or disagreements in the workplace can spill over into the personal domain, potentially impacting the overall harmony of the relationship.
Decision-Making Conflicts: Disagreements on business-related decisions can create tension, as personal and professional interests may clash. Finding a balance that respects both partners’ perspectives is crucial to maintain a healthy working relationship.
Worth the Effort
Despite the challenges, couples working together also experience unique benefits that can strengthen both their personal and professional lives:
Shared Vision and Values: Couples often share common goals, values, and aspirations. By working together, they can align their visions, creating a strong foundation for their business and personal success.
Enhanced Trust and Communication: Being in a business partnership allows couples to deepen their trust and communication skills. Over time, they develop a better understanding of each other’s strengths, weaknesses, and working styles, fostering a stronger bond.
Complementary Skills and Expertise: Couples typically have different skills and expertise. By leveraging each other’s strengths, they can create a well-rounded operation, increasing the chances of success.
Popular Business Types
When it comes to the types of businesses that couples choose to start together, there is a wide range of possibilities. However, certain industries and sectors tend to attract a higher proportion of couplepreneurs. Here are some of the most frequently chosen business ventures:
- Service-Based Businesses: Consulting firms, coaching services, event planning, and graphic design studios.
- Retail: Brick-and-mortar boutique/specialty stores and e-commerce shops.
- Food and Hospitality: Restaurants, food trucks, and bed and breakfasts.
- Health and Wellness: Fitness studios, yoga centers, wellness retreats, and holistic health.
Success and Failure Rates
While running a business is inherently challenging, couple-owned businesses have shown promising success rates.
According to a study published in the Journal of Business Venturing, couple-owned businesses tend to have a higher survival rate compared to non-couple-owned ventures. The study found that after five years, approximately 63% of couple-owned businesses were still operational. This high survival rate can be attributed to the unique dynamics and shared commitment of couples in business.
Despite the relatively higher success rates, couple-owned businesses are not immune to failure. Just like any other business, various factors can contribute to the venture’s failure, including inadequate business planning, financial challenges, market competition, and insufficient demand for the product or service.
It is crucial for couplepreneurs to proactively address these challenges and seek professional advice and support to mitigate the risk of failure. Additionally, maintaining a healthy work-life balance and effectively managing the unique dynamics of a couple’s relationship can also contribute to long-term success.
Impact on Marital Stability
One concern often raised is the potential impact on marital stability. Running a business together can introduce additional stressors and challenges into the relationship, which, if not managed effectively, may strain the marital bond. However, studies suggest that the divorce rates among couplepreneurs are not significantly higher than those of couples in non-business partnerships.
According to research by Professors Robert W. Fairlie and Kanika Kapur, there is no statistical evidence to support the notion that couples in business together are more likely to experience divorce. Their study, published in the Journal of Labor Economics, analyzed data from the U.S. Census Bureau and found that self-employed individuals, including couplepreneurs, had divorce rates similar to or lower than those of employees.
The key to maintaining a successful business and a strong marriage lies in effective communication, mutual respect, and a shared commitment to both personal and professional growth. Seeking professional counseling or joining support networks can also provide valuable guidance and help couples navigate the unique challenges they may face.
Finding Balance
The rise of couple-owned businesses has transformed the entrepreneurial landscape, showcasing the harmonious blend of business and personal partnerships.
By understanding the challenges, benefits, and trends, aspiring couplepreneurs can leverage their shared vision and complementary skills and embark on their entrepreneurial journey with confidence.
On the following pages, we highlight some local couplepreneurs achieving the delicate balance of business and bliss.
Parris & Sherry Frisby
Owners, Minuteman Press of Akron/Stow
Tell us about yourselves.
Parris worked in the printing industry for 12 years prior to opening his first location in Akron (Montrose area). Sherry was the food service manager at Camp Christopher for 25 years before joining the company. This year will be our 15th wedding anniversary and our 15th year in business. We were married one month after we opened our first location in Akron.
What led to you working together?
Sherry was looking for a change from her food service job. When we first added our second location in Stow in 2019, Parris managed both locations initially, which was challenging. We always said if we had more than one location, Sherry would have her own store. By the end of that year, Sherry started managing our Stow location.
What do you enjoy most about working together?
We get to talk to each other throughout the work day and get to see each other from time to time when we are at each other’s stores. With both of us working on the business together, we have a much stronger support system and help each other out all the time.
How do you divide responsibilities?
Parris oversees the operations at the Akron location, handling all of the bookkeeping, financials, and equipment purchases. Sherry focuses on community involvement through local chamber meetings, which she attends each month.
How do you handle conflicts between work and personal life?
We each have our roles in the business broken down, so there is no overlap and no conflicts. We trust each other’s judgment and talk through situations together to come to a mutual conclusion. It’s the same for our business and personal life.
Any tips for maintaining a healthy work-life balance?
Work hard and vacation often.
Any advice for couples considering starting a business together?
Owning a business can be challenging and stressful at times. Come up with a plan for each other’s responsibilities within the business and make sure none of them are the same. Couples also need to find ways to shut it off and enjoy what being a business owner is all about.
Rob & Sandra Wentz
Owners, 1Direction Strategy
Tell us about yourselves.
We both graduated from Bowling Green State University with degrees in sports marketing and management with minors in business.
Prior to starting our first business, Rob worked for all three major sport teams in Cleveland (Indians, Browns, and Cavaliers) and helped run two sports facilities in Cincinnati and Cleveland.
Sandra worked 13 years in corporate marketing, communications, and market research for the Toledo Mud Hens Minor League Baseball Club, Cleveland Cavaliers and Rockers, L’Oréal, and Agilysys.
Our first business was Rob Wentz & Associates, a sporting goods sales agency representing different outdoor brands, which we operated for 10 years. After selling it, we started 1Direction Strategy, which is celebrating five years in business this year.
We have been married for 25 years and working together for 15 years.
What led to you working together?
We wanted to be business owners. We are both very competitive, so making our business succeed was extremely important to us. Our first company showed us how successful we could be when we worked together. We also loved the flexibility it gave us to be with our daughters and participate in their activities when they were young.
What do you enjoy most about working together?
Combining our passion, drive, and leadership skills into building a business of our own was very intriguing to us. Competing with each other to see who performs better pushes us to excel in our business. We enjoy sharing in all the wins and successes together. Our skills definitely complement each other. We also love pranking each other.
How do you divide responsibilities?
We have different qualities and skills. Knowing how to use them to our advantage has helped us immensely. Sandra is primarily responsible for business development, marketing, event planning, and the day-to-day operations. Rob works directly with our clients, providing education and training. He also assists with business development. We work as a team—Team Wentz—and are willing to critique each other to do what’s best for our business without taking anything personally.
How do you handle conflicts between work and personal life?
Clear and frequent communication. We also don’t let our egos get in the way of business decisions. We recognize everything we do ultimately helps our business as a whole.
Any tips for maintaining a healthy work-life balance?
It’s important to have boundaries and leave work at work. Work will always be there. Have fun both at work and in your personal life. If it’s not fun, it’s not worth doing. Also, have your own set of hobbies outside of the office and separate from your spouse.
Any advice for couples considering starting a business together?
You will work very hard, but it is worth the effort and fulfilling to know you built something from the ground up together. Stay in your lane and don’t try to be everything to everybody. Be the expert in your field only.
Anything else you’d like to share?
We realize it’s a privilege to work together because not everyone can build a business with their spouse. We are frequently asked, “How do you work with your spouse? I could never do that!” We just laugh.
Dr. Patrick & Dow Pfantz
Owners, Star Chiropractic & Wellness
Tell us about yourselves.
We’ve been married nearly three years and have worked together since we opened the office in August 2021. I had worked at several chiropractic offices throughout Northeast Ohio and wanted to be closer to home. Dow worked 10 years at Asian Sun Martial Arts and then two years as a mail carrier.
What led to you working together?
Dow was on maternity leave. A week after giving birth, she came into the office and started answering phones and running the front desk. In December 2021, the time came for us to decide if she would return to her job or stay at the office. We were growing quickly, and the patients related well to her. That made the choice easy.
What do you enjoy most about working together?
We enjoy spending time with one another and have input on business decisions. We definitely complete each other. Working together also allows us to spend time with our son, Brody, who is one-and-a half years old.
How do you divide responsibilities?
Dow works at the front desk with the patients and handles the marketing and advertising. I take care of the patients.
How do you handle conflicts between work and personal life?
We try to keep our business and personal life separate as much as possible, but sometimes it is difficult to do. When situations arise, we give each other space to let things calm down and circle back to address the situation.
Any tips for maintaining a healthy work-life balance?
Don’t be afraid to ask people for help. Try setting a clear schedule to help with time management. Learn to say no. Find time for yourself and take breaks.
Any advice for couples considering starting a business together?
I highly recommend starting a business together. Don’t expect to work less hours than you did as an employee. No one is going to work harder at your business than you and your spouse.
At the end of the day, make sure to always find the positive things that happened and don’t go to bed mad at each other.
Seek out a business attorney to help you figure out what is best for you and your spouse regarding business ownership.
Darlene & John Pinter, Jr.
REALTORS®, The Pinter Team/Key Realty
Tell us about yourselves.
We met in 2010. John had a rental business for about 20 years. I began helping him and enjoyed it a lot.
We were married in 2014. John expressed an interest in getting more involved in real estate. He had been working as a firefighter/paramedic and currently as a dispatcher. I was working in collections, life insurance, and mutual funds but didn’t enjoy the high-pressure sales environment. I got my real estate license in 2016, and John got licensed in 2017. And that was the beginning of The Pinter Team.
What led to you working together?
I laid the ground work for the business. John joined me while keeping his full-time job.
What do you enjoy most about working together?
While we love spending time together, the best part is our work is very fulfilling. We help people make very personal life changes. I get to share this process with my best friend and business partner.
How do you divide responsibilities?
Since John still works full time, I do the majority of the day-to-day work. John maintains our database and helps with marketing, while I’m available full time to answer the phone and set up showings.
When we are both available, we enjoy going to showings together. Our clients appreciate having two different points of view on the home they are considering. During open houses, we split up and take positions on multiple floors of the house. This allows us to interact with potential buyers as they walk through the property, pointing out special features and answering any questions.
How do you handle conflicts between work and personal life?
I think one the best ways to handle conflicts between work and personal life is to avoid them in the first place. We have a shared calendar we use for everything to avoid double booking. However, when there is a conflict, one of us may forego the personal commitment to take care of the client.
Any tips for maintaining a healthy work-life balance?
Make sure you still have time for yourselves while providing clients with consistent quality service. There are times when we are out of town or have family commitments. In those cases, we have a trusted associate show a house or meet with a client.
Any advice for couples considering starting a business together?
First and foremost, make sure that you enjoy spending a lot of time together. Talk with your partner and make sure you both have clear expectations of what each of you want from the business and the contributions you plan on making to get there.
Bob & Sue Gruber
Owners and CEOs, Wellness & Wealth by Choice, Independent Nikken Consultants
Tell us about yourselves.
We have been in business together for 18 years. Sue was in nursing for 40+ years, and Bob was in the machining industry for 49 years as a craftsman, business owner, sales associate, and educator. We’ve been married for 34 years.
What led to you working together?
In our quest to improve our own health, we discovered Nikken, a Japanese global wellness company that provided us with amazing results. In addition to their unique technologies that mimic nature’s energy frequencies, Nikken offered a trusted, proven business opportunity. We felt compelled to share our life-changing wellness journey with anyone wanting to improve their quality of life.
Nikken has taken us to some wonderful places including Cancun, Italy, Hawaii, Japan, and many U.S. states. This business has allowed us to develop some very wonderful relationships with people we never would have met otherwise. It also gives us time flexibility and personal satisfaction. We love being a solution for someone’s problem.
What do you enjoy most about working together?
Working together comes very naturally to us. We enjoy spending time together in work and in play!
How do you divide responsibilities?
We each have our own skill set that compliments each other for a balanced business. It’s a team effort. We each handle what comes naturally to our skill sets. At the end of the day, everything is handled.
How do you handle conflicts between work and personal life?
There is never much conflict. We find solutions to issues pretty quickly. We trust and respect each other in business and in life.
Any tips for maintaining a healthy work-life balance?
Working from home can be either all consuming or all procrastination. To find our balance, we set aside time for work and play. We each have our own interests. We also have plenty of together time. We both enjoy golf, fishing, going out with friends, travel, and time with our family. We also laugh a lot!
Any advice for couples considering starting a business together?
Start your business for the right reason. Both partners must be committed to the business’s purpose, goals, and mission rather than merely pursuing a get-rich-quick scheme.
Brad & Dayna Yurkovich
Owners, Game Day Feels
Tell us about yourselves.
We’ve been married for 14 years. Brad’s background is in customer service and retail. Dayna has worked in marketing and public relations and owns a local event marketing company. In 2012, we started our first business, The Main Squeeze Lemonade, a nostalgic lemonade business.
In 2016, Brad began upcycling old baseball gloves into wallets and accessories as a hobby. That hobby grew into our second company, Yurko Sports, a homage to Brad’s nickname when he played baseball. We rebranded in 2023 as Game Day Feels to represent our focus on nostalgia better. It’s all about the feels!
What led to you working together?
It wasn’t really a decision to work together. It just happened. We both had different strengths, and our skills meshed well. We started small and have both grown as we’ve navigated different levels of the business. Brad has always wanted us to work together. We love it!
What do you enjoy most about working together?
We love to travel and work live shows to interact with the public. That’s where the storytelling really comes out about memories, feelings, and emotions around the sports we love. We’d rather work with each other than anyone else. We genuinely do complement each other’s strengths and weaknesses when it comes to the business. There are challenges, but we’re good for each other.
How do you divide responsibilities?
Brad is the creative vision behind the overall growth, product development, and production. Dayna is the nuts and bolts, focusing on sales, marketing, and logistics.
How do you handle conflicts between work and personal life?
There are challenges being married and working together, mainly because we can both be opinionated! But whatever arises, we talk about it, work through it, and move on. Our relationship and family are more important than business.
Any tips for maintaining a healthy work-life balance?
Flexibility! Sometimes the most pressing priority wins at that moment. That’s just life. We don’t always have normal work hours, but that helps us put family at the top. By doing business together, we get to do life together with our son every day and not miss any moments.
Any advice for couples considering starting a business together?
Keep the communication lines open at all times. Talk about everything! Our best business decisions were made when we both agreed without any reservations. When we’re on the same page, we accomplish some really amazing things. It’s fun to look back at where we started and how far we’ve come.
Laurie and Jared DeLiberato
Owners, DeLiberato’s Bakery
Tell us about yourselves.
We’ve been together since high school and married for 15 years. Jared’s background is in education, sales, and finance. Laurie worked as a graphic designer. We still hold jobs while growing our business.
Our journey into the gluten-free world started in 2009 when Laurie was diagnosed with Celiac disease. Going gluten-free was a game changer for her health. But we are still normal people. We enjoy eating bread that doesn’t taste like cardboard. So we began baking and researching how to make good-tasting gluten-free food.
The idea of the bakery grew from a suggestion by our oldest son. He wanted to sell the scones we were making for our family. His idea grew into so much more. We wanted others to have a gluten-free treat they enjoyed, not one they settled for.
Our three children are also involved with the bakery. Our oldest helps with events, and all of them have helped with deliveries. They are always happy to taste-test new recipes and provide feedback.
What led to you working together?
From the start, it was natural for us to do it together. Each of us has a creative drive for making and building something of our own. The business didn’t thrive when we worked apart, and ideas fizzled. But when we came together, we balanced and supported each other with our natural strengths and weaknesses.
What do you enjoy most about working together?
We are best friends and enjoy being together. Work is a large part of our time, and we consider ourselves lucky to spend it together.
How do you divide responsibilities?
Laurie handles most of the baking and day-to-day orders and management. Jared focuses on the company’s business development, sales, and marketing. However, we both step in where needed. We couldn’t do it without each other!
How do you handle conflicts between work and personal life?
Practice. There are times we need to push harder at work and times we need to set boundaries and be present in our home life. We listen to each other, trust each other, and are willing to be wrong. We try not to take things too personally.
Any tips for maintaining a healthy work-life balance?
It’s been helpful to plan out what we can and set the tone for what we want to do. This makes it easier to know when to say yes or no as things pop up. We also take a day off every week entirely away from the bakery, and we try to limit work in the evenings. During busier times like the holidays, we give each other grace to know work demands a little more for now. We focus on spending more time as a family when the work rush is over.
Any advice for couples considering starting a business together?
It can be a great opportunity! Of course, there will be lots to learn, but sharing the process with the person you care about most is unique.
