Is Working With Your Spouse A Bad Idea?


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You can look at working with your spouse as a benefit: After all, spending more time together can strengthen a relationship and lead to deeper bonds. If you are in the overstock business and buy and sell closeouts, you will understand how working together is a double edged sword. Dealing everyday with companies that are shutting down business or closing 3PL warehouses is stressful and puts stress on a married couple working together. Marital partners may also have no choice but to work together, especially if they both work in a small family-run business. When spouses work together, the stakes are usually high. Careers, personal lives, and families are in jeopardy if the union comes to an end. Closeout websites are often run together by married couples and they work together when liquidating overstock.

Spouses who work together sometimes run into difficulties when they don't clearly define their roles. Both partners should know what they are and aren't responsible for, both at work and at home. In the closeout business one partner might be responsible for warehouse details for example if the company is closing it's 3PL warehouse or downsizing to a smaller warehouse. The other partner might be responsible for sales of any surplus inventory and wholesale liquidation stock on the website. Closeout websites often have so many dynamics that it requires two devoted people each handling different parts of the closeout business. If one partner is subordinate to the other at work, they should make sure not to carry this dynamic back to the house at the end of the workday. Forbes magazine recommends creating an agreement and acting professionally in the office. When you sell closeouts and overstock inventory to the public, there is no room for spousal disagreements and arguments.

For couples who work together, the risk exists of always putting business first, even when they're not at work. They may still be in work mode when they return home and find it difficult to relax or to keep from discussing office matters. Because a couple's income comes from the work they do together, it's often hard to separate the two. Should such situations arise, couples should go on dates during which they avoid discussing business, or they should adopt a strict policy about keeping work matters from interfering with their home life. There will always be overstocked goods for sale and companies that need to clear out warehouse space for new products coming in. There is so much to look at that it is easy to work 24 hours a day. When it comes to shutting down operations and liquidating closeout inventory it is important to have boundaries. For couples who work together, it may be difficult to keep conflicts in their appropriate spheres. Conflicts and disagreements at work may be carried over to the home, and vice versa. This, of course, puts tremendous strain on both the marital and working relationship. Couples who work together should try to keep conflicts in their appropriate sphere – or, better yet, settle conflicts as soon as they arise.

Couples might assume that spending time together can only be good for their relationship, but too much of a good thing can also be detrimental. Couples who work together may have difficulty maintaining separate identities or being able to recharge away from their spouses. In the office, Entrepreneur notes that separate offices or working spaces can help maintain boundaries. Away from the office, couples should consider outside interests or hobbies to help them strike a good balance between time alone and time with their spouse. It can be too easy to fall back on work talk and only discuss shutting down businesses or closing 3PL warehouses and disposing of inventory. Closeness doesn’t guarantee communication. You have to schedule time to discuss company business, just like other business partners would. I can be helpful to meet each morning over coffee to review tasks for the day and check in on how projects are moving along.

This is a non-negotiable, scheduled time when you are just a couple. Sure, you might talk about your closeout and liquidation business, but other couples talk about their work, too. Only now, you know what and who your spouse is talking about. The important thing is to do activities that focus on your relationship. Strengthen your bond as a couple and your business will follow. When you know someone as well as you know your partner, you can read their body language and have a deep understanding of their strengths, emotions, and opinions. You aren’t afraid to voice your thoughts to one another because you’ve already learned to tackle hard or uncomfortable conversations in your marriage. Great communication can help you and your spouse work more efficiently and get more accomplished in a work day than those who don’t share a marital bed.

If you have excess inventory for sale and are looking for ways to clear your warehouse, search online for closeout buyers using these terms: going out of business, shutting down business, closing 3PL warehouse, need room in warehouse, inventory stranded at Amazon warehouse, overstocked goods in our warehouse, etc. Communicating is also important when it comes to conflict. You will have conflict. You will disagree. But talking openly and honestly about your issues, whether they be business or personal, keeps them from simmering under the surface until they interfere with your relationship and your business.

The reality is that you spend a big bulk of your day at work, dealing with closeout websites and which means that, if you work with your spouse, you're going to spend pretty much all of your time with them. Self-care is important, and part of that means spending time with yourself. So make sure you allocate some you time where your aren't talking about how to sell closeouts or what to do with too much inventory in your warehouse. If you work with your spouse, it'll be easy to spend all your time with them — it's comfortable. But make an effort to get to know other people in the office, too. Go to lunch or coffee with other colleagues. Schedule happy hours with your coworkers. And make sure to mingle with others at company parties. The last thing you want to do is isolate yourself in your place of work — because that certainly won't get you recognized in the world of closeouts and surplus or obsolete inventory for sale.

It may be easier said than done, but it's important that you remain professional at the office. Leave your personal problems at home. Don't vent to coworkers about your relationship, which is not only a bad look can will also hurt your partner's image at the office. Buying and selling obsolete inventory for a living takes an unbelievable amount of time and energy. You can spend 24/7 working on how to liquidate inventory because there is no end to businesses shutting down Amazon seller accounts or companies going out of business and liquidating entire inventory. Again, leaving work stresses at the office may be easier said than done. Even couples who don't work together have trouble leaving work stress at the office, and this struggle takes a toll on many relationships. But make an ample effort to not let your work concerns bleed into your relationship. If you're going to work together, you need to be able to separate the two. Don't make your entire life about selling closeouts and liquidating overstock. The most successful excess inventory buyers have a work life and a separate home life.

If you both have the same job or work for the same closeout company, and you spend the bulk of your time doing the same thing, there's little room left to teach each other new things, which is a big chunk of the fun of a relationship. Make sure you pursue your own other interests outside of work — passions that are unique to you. This way you can still call something your own, and still introduce your partner to it and share your passion with them. There are so many different situations leading to companies liquidating their inventory that it can be helpful to discuss them. The company may be completely shutting down or they may just have slow sales and want to discontinue merchandise. Sometimes inventory is even given away for free just to get it out of the warehouse and make space for new products.

There are obvious advantages and disadvantages to working with your spouse. And it's up to you to decide whether or not it's a wise move for both your career and your relationship. Whatever you decide, just make sure that you be honest with both yourself and your partner. A married couple can make a lot of money buying and selling closeouts and overstock inventory because they can be the only officers and employees of the company if you store all the dead inventory in a 3PL warehouse.

Communication and listening are absolutely essential.

  • Divide and conquer closeouts responsibilities based on your strengths.
  • Don’t talk about liquidating inventory 24/7. Have a rule that all work talk stops before 8pm.
  • Don’t bring personal issues into work. Have those discussions during off-hours.
  • Have separate workspaces so that you’re not literally with each other 24/7. If you work from home, consider leaving the house twice a week and work at your local coffee shop. You can make calls and review closeouts and explain the liquidation process to vendors from anywhere.
  • Make time for your relationship, like going on a two-week long vacation.
  • Always be supportive - even during those bad times when selling closeouts is a challenge.
  • Understand what you’re getting into. Entrepreneurship is hard and isn’t for everyone. Make sure that you understand the time and financial risks involved. Discuss how it’s going to impact your relationship and lifestyle. Determine and respect roles and responsibilities. Make sure that you’re both on the same page when it comes to all financial decisions and business goals.

Merchandise USA sells surplus inventory to closeout liquidators and closeout websites. We specialize in working with companies shutting down operations and liquidating their entire inventory. We can help you get rid of dead stock especially if you are shutting down a business. If you have determined you have excess inventory from previous years we can help you dispose of it.