Can Mixing Business With Pleasure Work? Here's How To Make Going Into

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You’ve probably heard the phrase, “don’t mix business with pleasure,” but have you ever stopped to wonder if there might be some benefits to blending the two? Of course, the negative connotations that come with this notion would include: the relationship not working out (personal and/or business), your view or perception of the person changing, or even your significant other scamming you (hopefully that won’t happen). But, what if it works out, and because you already have the basis of a solid relationship, know each others’ strengths and weaknesses, it could be a great partnership.

A great example of that would be Tidal co-owners, Beyoncé and Jay-Z. But there’s also singer Jade Novah and her husband, Devin Johnson who are a music genius team. With her vocals and his instrumental and production skills, they make melodies that speak to your soul. Beauty guru Jackie Aina and her man Denis Asamoah are just #goals! Imagine if your man learned how to make a website just for your career to flourish…just wow. The two even have their own YouTube channel where they put their life on display for all to enjoy. Even Kelly Rowland and her manager hubby, Tim Witherspoon do a lot of business together, as well. Here are some ways you and your significant other can make it work like these duos:

Establish boundaries

Boundaries are guides that are needed in any relationship, especially a business one. If you’re collaborating with your bae, it could be easy for the lines to be blurred between work and relationship. According to Inc., all people involved should establish ground rules ahead of time, before it’s too late. You should answer questions like: What is “us” time, and what is work time? Who is investing what money, time and space? How will you divide the workload?

Understanding how each other works

Are you more of a free spirit, and your boyfriend or girlfriend a planner? Well knowing what you both bring to the table is important. Understanding each other’s work styles is key, states Forbes. If you already want to change things about your other half before you even sit down to talk to them, then that could be a problem. So figure out if your individual approaches to work are compatible.

Trust is key

If you can’t trust someone in a friendship, let alone a romantic relationship, then trying to go into business with them won’t work. Think about the level of trust you’re willing to give to the person you’re going to be making money moves with, tag-teaming in meetings with, and possibly signing contracts with because once you start, it’s hard to get out of it.

Have a plan

Know what you want to do! Don’t just make the decision off impulse. Really think about the pros and cons, and make sure it makes sense for your lifestyle and where you see the business and personal relationship going.

For Breanna Aponte and Dre Smith, they know all about maintaining a relationship while being business partners. The engaged couple has a social media management, branding, and consulting firm called All About It, LLC where they help individuals turn their passion into profit by giving them the tools to create, launch and grow their own business. So far, they’re one year in the game as a professional team, and have some advice for how they make it work (start at 0:51):