15 Husband and Wife Business Ideas: Business Ideas for Couples
Starting and running a business with your spouse can be an incredibly rewarding experience. Not only can you turn your shared passions, skills, and dreams into reality, but you also get to spend more time together doing something you both love.
Couples engaged in entrepreneurship may experience higher incomes, as suggested by research from the Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) and Entrepreneur Magazine.
However, launching a business as a couple isn’t always easy. Just like in your marriage, you need to navigate differences, communicate clearly, and complement each other’s working styles. You’ll face unique challenges that partners who don’t work together don’t encounter.
But when done right, co-owning a business can bring you closer together and set your family up for long-term success.
In this post, we’ll explore some of the best small business ideas for husbands and wives. We’ll also dive into the keys to launching and growing a successful business as a married couple.
15 Business Ideas for Couples
If starting a business with your spouse appeals to you, you might be wondering what type of company to launch. Although the possibilities are endless, here are 15 ideas to get your creative juices flowing:
1. Consulting Business
Leveraging your expertise to help businesses solve problems is one of the easiest business models. As a couple, you can each focus on offering consulting services in your respective areas of specialty.
For example, perhaps one of you has a knack for improving conversion rates for online businesses. The other might have 10+ years of experience developing corporate training programs. Consulting is a scalable business you can run from anywhere.
2. Handyman Service
Starting a handyman service is perfect for couples where one spouse has trade skills like carpentry, plumbing, electrical, or general contracting.
The other spouse can handle the business administration side—managing marketing, scheduling, customer service, and financing. This allows you to combine skillsets to run the operations smoothly.
3. Retail Shop
If you both have a passion for fashion, home furnishings, gifts, or specialty foods, you might open a retail store together.
One spouse can focus on the creative aspects like purchasing inventory, merchandising, and window displays. The other can manage logistics around inventory, payroll, and accounting.
4. Photography Business
Photography is another creative small business idea for couples where one spouse is the artist and the other handles coordination and promotion.
Offering services like wedding, family, or product photography can make for a fulfilling and flexible business.
5. Bed and Breakfast
If you love hosting guests and have extra space, launching a bed and breakfast could be the perfect couplepreneur venture.
One spouse can take care of hospitality duties like preparing breakfast, cleaning, and welcoming visitors. The other can focus on marketing your B&B and managing online bookings.
6. Daycare Service
For parents, opening an in-home daycare together allows you to earn income while raising your own kids.
With one spouse watching the children and the other handling administration like enrollment, licensing, and billing, you can split daycare center ownership duties according to your unique skills and interests.
7. Web Design Agency
If one of you is a whiz at building websites and the other excels at attracting clients, web design can make for a compelling business idea for couples.
With one partner focused on art and development while the other spearheads sales and growth initiatives, you’ve got the makings of a successful web agency.
8. Food Truck
Operating a food truck or trailer is a tricky proposition for a single owner. But for couples, it presents an enticing opportunity.
You can have one spouse serve as head chef and the other manage daily business operations from booking locations to running marketing campaigns. Food trucks let you collaborate creatively while reaching hungry customers.
9. E-commerce Site
E-commerce represents one of the most accessible online business models today. As a married couple, you can start your own e-commerce store selling products in a niche you’re passionate about.
One spouse can develop and source products. The other can build and manage the website. With drop shipping, you can launch an online store without a big upfront investment.
10. Real Estate Team
For couples with one spouse who is a licensed real estate agent, forming a real estate team can be rewarding.
With one partner focused on buying and selling properties while the other fulfills administrative duties, you can create a streamlined realty operation. This leverages both your strengths.
As you can see, plenty of small business models are well-suited to husband and wife teams. If you opt for consulting, services, e-commerce, or hospitality, you can often start your company from home too.
11. Social Media Marketing Agency
If one of you possesses marketing savvy and the other has technical chops, jointly launching a social media marketing agency can be profitable. As business partners, divide agency duties according to expertise.
The more outgoing, creative spouse may handle strategizing, content production, and community management. They’ll interact directly with clients to shape Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok campaigns.
Meanwhile, the more analytical, technically adept partner can focus on reporting, metrics analysis, advertising optimization, and automation tools.
Together, the holistic skill set positions the agency to win new business, deliver measurable results, and stand apart from solo social media freelancers.
12. Craft Brewery
For couples who love craft beer (and each other), launching your brewery combines business with pleasure. The passion-driven hospitality industry presents an alluring option for spousal entrepreneurship.
Divide ownership according to what plays best to your strengths. One of you can take the helm as head brewmaster, overseeing recipe development, ingredients sourcing, batch brewing, and quality control.
Your partner can focus on taproom operations, managing staff, coordinating events, liaising with distributors, and leading tours and tastings.
Together, these specializations allow you to craft signature brews while also sharing them with enthusiastic patrons.
13. Software Development Firm
If one spouse possesses serious coding chops while the other excels at sales, support, and marketing initiatives, jointly launching a bespoke software development firm makes good use of complementary abilities.
The technical co-founder writes clean, well-documented code and architects complex digital solutions for clients. They oversee programming, troubleshooting features, conducting QA testing, and managing development timelines.
Their outgoing people person partner concentrates on attracting clients, documenting requirements, project management responsibilities, user onboarding, customer support, upgrades selling, and online brand building.
This divided focus area allows the development firm to deliver projects efficiently while also continuing to grow.
14. Gift Basket Company
For crafty couples, designing and selling specialized gift baskets can make for a harmonious home business partnership. One spouse focuses on sourcing and arranging creative basket goods for occasions like baby showers, birthdays, anniversaries etc.
They enjoy the challenge of finding unique items to include while also hand-picking packaging that delights recipients. Your partner manages e-commerce, order processing, fulfillment, and logistics, and provides top-notch customer service.
This split playing to individual interests and abilities allows the gift basket company to scale while maintaining quality.
15. Professional Organizing Service
For neat freak couples, launching a professional organizing service allows you to instill order in clients’ lives. One detail-oriented spouse serves as lead organizer, working directly with clients on projects like de-cluttering, downsizing, office restructures, document management, and special events prep.
Their partner coordinates new client intakes, manages calendars, handles billing, oversees supplies restocking, and books organizing sessions based on specialty. Together you present a unified, wrinkle-free operation to your customers.
Need more ideas? Use our business idea generator to generate unlimited business ideas.
Why Start a Business Together?
Before jumping into the type of business you could start, let’s look at some of the potential benefits of becoming co-entrepreneurs:
You Can Combine Your Skills and Interests
The best business partners (married or not) have complementary skill sets. For example, perhaps one spouse is an incredible salesperson and networker, while the other loves building products or delivering services.
As a married couple, you likely have diverse experiences and passions that can give you an edge. Look for ways your individual talents and interests can come together to create something greater than the sum of its parts.
You’ll Get to Spend More Time Together
Many entrepreneurs lament how running a business takes time away from family. If you build a company together, you won’t have to make that sacrifice.
Even when you’re “working”, you’ll still be side-by-side with your spouse. You can make your business an extension of your life together rather than something that pulls you apart.
You Have Built-In Support
Starting a business is not easy. When midnight comes and doubts start to creep in, it helps to have a supportive partner who believes in the vision as much as you do.
As a married couple, you can lean on each other for emotional support during the inevitable ups and downs of entrepreneurship. That built-in support system will be invaluable.
For couples with kids, running a business together allows you to more easily share parenting duties and expenses.
Rather than relying on daycare or hiring a nanny, you can tag-team taking care of your children while also earning income. It takes coordination, but the flexibility and cost savings are huge benefits.
As you can see, there are some compelling reasons to turn your marital partnership into a business partnership too. Next, let’s look at some of the top business ideas for couples.
Successful Husband and Wife Businesses
While launching a business together poses unique challenges for couples, many husband-and-wife teams have built incredibly successful ventures together.
Bill & Melinda Gates Arguably the most famous and impactful husband and wife business team of modern times is Bill and Melinda Gates. The duo first met in the late 1980s working together at Microsoft—Bill as CEO and co-founder and Melinda joining as a product manager.
Following marriage in 1994, the powerhouse couple continued to lead Microsoft’s global expansion and dominate the technology world. While balancing raising three kids, they also jointly launched the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in 2000 – now one of the wealthiest charitable foundations on the planet.
With Melinda playing an influential role at the foundation as well as Microsoft, the organization has contributed over $50 billion towards healthcare, poverty alleviation and development in Africa, education improvements in the United States, and more worldwide causes.
For couples seeking both personal life prosperity and achieving positive global impact together, Bill and Melinda serve as a one-of-a-kind blueprint for channeling marriage into world-changing business influence together.
Here are some other inspiring examples:
Lisa & Scott Cundiff – This husband and wife founded Litehouse Foods, a manufacturer of salad dressings and dips, in 1960. Today, after 60+ years in business, Litehouse generates over $230 million in annual sales.
Jerry Murrell & his wife – In 1956, this couple used $105 to start Five Guys Burgers and Fries out of their home in Virginia. Through franchising and persistence, Five Guys has grown to over 1,500 locations and $1.4 billion in systemwide sales.
Melissa and Dallas Hartwig – In 2009, this duo co-authored the book “It Starts With Food” which sparked a multi-million dollar health publishing and coaching empire. The Hartwigs built their marriage into a flourishing business partnership.
Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield – The iconic founders of Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream built their brand while navigating both business and matrimony. Even after selling in 2000, this husband and wife team continues working to advance social justice causes together.
Christina and Erik J. Olson – In 2010, Christina and Erik Founded Zerorez Franchising Systems which delivers eco-friendly carpet cleaning using a patented water filtration system. Today, Zerorez includes nearly 300 franchise locations across the US and Canada.
The examples above reveal how entering into business as a married couple can yield rewarding results.
When couples hone their communication, understand their roles, and pursue a vision in lockstep, it’s possible to achieve tremendous success and prosperity together.
Next, let’s explore how to set up your business for success.
Keys to Launching and Growing a Business as a Married Couple
Once you settle on a business idea that fits your passions, skills, and lifestyle, you’re ready to start putting the company together. Here are some important pointers for launching and growing a successful business as a married couple:
Define Your Roles
Rather than trying to split everything 50/50, define each spouse’s role in the business based on your respective strengths. Perhaps one of you will lead marketing initiatives and customer relations. The other might oversee product development or service delivery.
Carve out areas of ownership that allow each partner to take the lead. Avoid stepping on each other’s toes.
Schedule Regular Business Meetings
Make sure to set up recurring meetings (weekly or bi-weekly) to discuss the business. These can be casual but put them on the calendar.
Use the time to touch base on what’s working well, where you’re struggling, and your priorities for the coming week. This keeps you aligned.
Have a dedicated business bank account that both spouses are authorized users on. This will streamline operations when it comes time to pay vendors, process invoices, or pay your taxes.
A shared account also improves transparency and trust when it comes to business finances.
Define Personal Time vs. Business Time
When you work together as a married couple, the business can easily bleed into personal time. Combat this by defining work hours and learning to “turn off”.
Don’t constantly talk shop at home. Make time for genuine personal connections with your spouse, free of business discussions.
Know Each Other’s Working Style
Just as in your marriage, you may have different working and communication styles as business partners. Get clear on these differences.
For example, one of you may thrive under tight deadlines, while the other needs more flexibility. Talk through how to work together fluidly.
Align on Growth Expectations
Make sure you and your spouse have aligned expectations when it comes to business growth. Do you want to stay small and manageable? Or do you hope to scale up revenue and team members quickly?
Having a shared vision for the company’s expansion helps you make the right decisions together.
Outsource to Fill Gaps
As a two-person team, you’ll need to outsource some tasks to trusted freelancers or agencies. This might include IT support, graphic design, PPC ads, or HR duties.
Know when to seek outside help rather than overloaded your limited bandwidth as a couple.
Schedule Time for Self-Care
Entrepreneurship can be demanding on mental energy and focus. Ensure you both continue to make time for self-care practices like exercise, good nutrition, socializing, and relaxing.
Don’t let your business become all-encompassing. Prioritize activities that help clear your head and reduce stress.
Maintain Healthy Relationship Boundaries
Never let your business partnership fully eclipse your marriage. Nurture your identity as spouses and partners, not just co-owners.
Set boundaries around when you give each other work-related feedback versus personal feedback. Don’t let professional conflicts bleed excessively into your relationship.
Launching a business with your spouse can enrich your marriage and set your family up financially—but only if you lay the right foundation. Define complementary roles, schedule regular connection points, get aligned on growth plans, and nurture the personal aspects of your relationship.
By leveraging each of your unique talents and passion projects, you can build a shared business that’s rewarding both personally and professionally.
Turning Marriage into Successful Co-Entrepreneurship
Starting and running a business with your husband or wife has the potential to be an incredibly unifying experience. But to do it right, you must navigate the dual relationship thoughtfully.
Here are some final tips on how to turn your marriage into a successful co-entrepreneurship:
- Communicate openly – Bring up tensions quickly, try not to bottle frustration, and be willing to participate in difficult conversations.
- Play to individual strengths – Avoid stepping on each other’s toes. Take ownership of your domain based on abilities.
- Clarify roles – Define who handles what tasks and responsibilities. Revisit this when needed.
- Check your ego – Be willing to take feedback from your spouse. Don’t let professional conflicts spill into your marriage.
- Celebrate wins – Make time to appreciate progress and wins, both big and small. Enjoy the journey together.
- Have fun – Inject humor and positivity into your working relationship whenever possible. Don’t take yourself too seriously.
- Ask for help – Seek assistance from mentors, coaches, or peers when you need it. Don’t try to figure it all out alone.
- Take time apart – Balance your shared business by occasionally taking trips or engaging in hobbies separately. Absence makes the heart grow fonder.
- Date your spouse – Nurture your romantic connection through regular date nights free from shop talk. Prioritize your relationship.
Blending marriage and business isn’t easy. But taking a strategic approach allows you to build something sustainable and impactful together. Focus on open communication, playing to your individual strengths, and maintaining work-life boundaries.
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Conclusion
Starting a business with your spouse can enrich your life and strengthen your bond. Although launching a company together has challenges, the rewards are well worth it.
Using the business ideas, tips, and strategies in this post, you can turn your marital partnership into a fulfilling professional one too. Leverage each other’s abilities, nurture open communication, and don’t forget to invest in your romantic relationship along the way.
Aligning on complementary roles and growth plans allows you to build a shared business that plays to both your passions. By tackling entrepreneurship as a team, you get to turn your dreams into reality while deepening your connection in the process.
So if you and your spouse have long envisioned starting something together, now just may be the perfect time. Find an idea you’re both excited about and split up responsibilities based on your individual strengths. Stay focused on your shared vision.
By working together strategically, you can build a company, legacy, and life that allows you to thrive in both business and marriage. Turn teamwork into dreamwork.
