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Has your craft business become a sore subject with your spouse?
Many handmade business owners find themselves feeling unsupported and misunderstood as they pursue their dreams.
I’m sorry if that is how you are feeling…
I’m here to tell you that the problem probably is not your handmade business. Your spouse is probably more supportive than you think, too.
The problem is that you and your spouse have not learned how to effectively communicate your needs to each other.
This isn’t something I can help you fix in one post, but I can help you learn how to approach conversations about your craft business better. Here are a few things you can try.
Disclaimer: The content in this post is my opinion only. I am not a marriage and family counselor. You may need to seek professional help depending on your situation.
Tell Your Spouse What You Expect Out of the Conversation
Do you need advice? Do you need emotional support? Do you need to discuss costs? Do you need to discuss time commitments? Tell your spouse what you want to talk about and what you want in return. This helps prevents misunderstandings that lead to arguments and sets the conversation up for success.
Here are some things you can say:
- I want to do another craft show on Saturday. Are you ok with that?
- I want to tell you about the new product I’m working on. All I need you to do is tell me I’m amazing! I’ll ask for constructive criticism later.
- I’m so frustrated with a customer. Can you help me figure out how to handle the situation?
- I’m happy “X” went well. Let’s celebrate!
- I’m so sad about “X.” I just need to vent.
- I want to take a class about “X.” Are you ok with that?
Conversations can always take a turn in ways you’re not expecting… But, if your spouse knows what you need from the start, sometimes it can prevent arguments.
Form an Agreement About How You Will Handle Money
Starting a handmade business requires an investment of both time and money. These things can put stress on your relationship. However, you can prevent tension by discussing the investments from the beginning.
As a business owner, you will have expenses — material costs, advertising costs, craft show fees, etc. Be honest and open about these expenses with your spouse so that there are no surprises when your bank statement arrives.
If you have not done this yet, start now!
Your spouse deserves to know how much money you are spending at the beginning because the money affects more than just you.
Conversations about money are always tricky, and they can easily lead to arguments. You need to form an agreement with your spouse about which financial decisions you need to consult each other about, and to what extent.
Here are some possible agreements you can make:
- We can both spend “X” amount of dollars per month on hobbies.
- We make plenty of money to support our family. I’d like to spend “X” amount of dollars on starting a craft business.
- As long as I bring in “X” amount of dollars per month, we don’t need to discuss investments I use with the remaining profits from my business.
- My business is cash-flow-positive, so we don’t need to discuss how I invest money from my business.
- I want your input on “X,” but not your input on “X.”
There are all sorts of agreements you can make. The important thing is that you make an agreement to avoid arguments about money in the future. Obviously, you’ll have to adjust your agreement as your business (hopefully) grows.
If your craft business is still in the hobby stage, discuss how much money you can spend each month. You don’t want to put your family under financial stress. If your spouse thinks you’re spending too much money, put a cap on it. However, explain that your hobby makes you happy, and you’d like to continue working on it as long as you can afford to do so. If you have some expendable income, hobbies should not be a problem, especially if your spouse has hobbies that cost money, too.
A lot of craft businesses do not make a profit, especially at the beginning. You and your spouse need to discuss what kind of financial impact this will have on your life, and how much money you are willing to invest to try and make your business a success. If you never have this conversation, it can make you feel like you need to hide your expenses for fear that your spouse will not support what you’re doing. You need emotional support whether your handmade business is making pennies or millions.
If your craft business is losing money, your spouse deserves to know because this affects the whole family. As soon as your handmade business turns cash-flow-positive, arguments about money should decrease significantly. However, until you can get there, you need to make an agreement on how much money you can spend.
Figure Out What Your Spouse Needs
In addition to an agreement on how much money you can spend on growing your craft business, you should also discuss your time commitments.
If you are spending every bit of spare time hustling for your business, it’s easy for your spouse and family to feel neglected. You might be thinking you are doing all of this to provide a better life for your family, but all they see is that you are choosing your craft business over them. This causes arguments. Sometimes it’s one of those you-can’t-win kinds of situations.
Yes, you need to devote time to your business, but you must find a balance between working on your business and spending time with your family. Make an agreement with your spouse about the amount of time you will spend on your business.
Here are some possible agreements you can make:
- I will only do “X” number of craft shows per month.
- I will only work on products during “X” hours of the day.
- We will go on a date night once a week.
- We will only talk about my craft business “X.”
If arguments continue to stem from how much time you are spending on your craft business, take a break and spend time with your family. And, when you form an agreement with your spouse, make sure you keep your word.
You’re obviously passionate about your craft business; otherwise you wouldn’t be doing it. However, your spouse can get tired of talking about nothing but your business. Make sure you make time to talk about your spouse’s interests, too.
There are so many things you need to learn to balance when starting and growing a profitable handmade business. One of the most important is making sure your spouse continues to support your dreams. Your business makes you happy, but your spouse should be happy, too.
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