So what’s the upside? Well obviously you got on with each other in the first place, so there should be high levels of trust and honesty – and no doubt you’ve both got the same goals in mind. You’ve worked out where your relative strengths and weaknesses lie, and hopefully if they’re complimentary, you’ll avoid having to take on outside help in the first years of building up the company. But perhaps the biggest perk is actually being able to spend time with your partner and build something together for you and your children’s future.
Everything that’s an upside can be viewed equally as a downside! ... You see too much of each other; you never switch off; your conversations are dominated by the business and you never actually have time for your children because you’re working night and day. Even the boundaries that exist in a more traditional workplace can be strained and a power struggle between couples about who’s in charge of what, may occur. So working with someone you are married to, can mean that the line between the person you love and the person you work with, becomes blurred. And as a sanguine thought, when you have all your eggs in one basket and things are going well, that’s great; but in a downturn such as now, it’s a bit scary to think there is no other income but the business.
A couple who have had to experience many of these issues and just get on with it, are Charles and Sarah Codrington of The Children’s 
Furniture Company. They have been working together since 2002 and whilst it hasn’t always been a bed of roses, they have a few helpful strategies in keeping home and work harmonious. At work they have agreed a clear demarcation of labour and try not to interfere too much in each other’s area of expertise. Charles deals with all the furniture design, manufacture and production side of things; whilst Sarah is in charge of marketing, sales and logistics. So day to day they keep out of each other’s hair and when the working day is done ... ‘keep away from the dreaded email,’ is their advice, (or at least try), focus on the children and enjoy individual activities if you can - in Charles’ case he’s a mad keen cyclist and in Sarah’s, a passionate tennis player.
Furniture Company. They have been working together since 2002 and whilst it hasn’t always been a bed of roses, they have a few helpful strategies in keeping home and work harmonious. At work they have agreed a clear demarcation of labour and try not to interfere too much in each other’s area of expertise. Charles deals with all the furniture design, manufacture and production side of things; whilst Sarah is in charge of marketing, sales and logistics. So day to day they keep out of each other’s hair and when the working day is done ... ‘keep away from the dreaded email,’ is their advice, (or at least try), focus on the children and enjoy individual activities if you can - in Charles’ case he’s a mad keen cyclist and in Sarah’s, a passionate tennis player.Despite the ups and downs, they still find it great fun to collaborate creatively on overall direction for the company. After 8 years workings and designing children’s furniture, they have a good grasp of what customers want and need for their children. Sarah comments that “we feel really chuffed when customers are happy with their purchases and we get positive feedback on the things we have designed and made. We really take it very personally!”
