Is it good for husband and wife to do business together?
In this week’s episode, Construction Leading Edge Director of Customer Success Leyah Hostetter sits with two of our Systematize Your Construction Business (SYCB) program students–Aaron and Ashley Steffens.
Aaron and Ashley are the husband and wife dynamic duo behind Moose Ridge Design-Build Construction, a custom remodeling company based in Iowa.
Today, they talk about their challenges running a construction business as a busy married couple. They share what they did to solve those challenges and what life looks like now after they went through the SYCB program.
Common Challenges of Married Couples In Business
Running a small business is a challenge. And running a small business as a married couple is even more complex. It’s a whole new ballgame, not to mention when you factor in four active kids with many extracurricular activities.
And today’s guests are not shy about that. Managing a busy household AND a chaotic construction business spells stress all over the place.
So, let’s talk a bit about some of the common challenges when spouses venture into the same business together.
1. Not Enough Time
Juggling site visits and soccer games doesn’t sound like a walk in the park. With deadlines and bedtime stories, finding enough time for work and family is always challenging.
2. Dinner Turned Into Meetings
At-home dinner meetings become a norm when you’re both running a busy construction company and a growing family.
3. Sleepless Nights
“Did he send the correct numbers to the clients?”. For couples in construction businesses, bedtime usually looks like that–still thinking about work. Sleep becomes a luxury, and it’s hard to come by.
4. Stress Symphony
Construction is chaos. And in most cases, this chaos morphs into stress, which then tends to spill over into family time. And that’s the biggest reality when juggling construction business and family.
But these don’t mean they’re untreatable.
The SYCB Program Effect
When the couple saw no boundaries between their work and family life and how they’ve sacrificed much of their family time, they decided to join our Systematize Your Construction Business Program.
Upon working with our team, Aaron immediately saw how their estimating process took off. Instead of doing all the estimating work, he shifted into more of an overseer role and delegated the responsibilities to others in the team. But it wasn’t just that.
Here are their top two biggest takeaways from the program that really moved the needle for them.
1. Clarity on the accountability chart.
An accountability chart is more than just an organizational chart. It’s a roadmap that goes beyond titles and roles. Think of it as a project blueprint for your team’s structure and functions. Defining each of their roles allows your team to own their jobs and let them do their jobs, too, without you interfering.
2. Nailing the handoff process.
With everything put on paper, it’s now hard for Aaron, Ashley (and their team) to let things fall into the cracks. They can look at their processes visually without bouncing back and forth.
After putting these and other systems in place, Aaron and Ashley could now send out the estimates on time and focus more on the business side of things.
As Aaron says, “Now I’m caught up on estimates. I have three left on my desk this afternoon. And normally, that would be like 10 that we’re just getting behind on.”
And what does their personal life look like now?
“I’m able to play some catch with my kids on lunch break. We’re getting stuff done. So that’s the biggest deal for me, for sure.”
“We’re able to focus more on our kids, you know. They’re younger, and they have questions all the time. They’re always telling stories. So now, I can actually be a part of that conversation with them instead of my head being somewhere else. So yeah, that family time has been huge lately.”
Do you want to get out of the day-to-day firefighting and make your business run without you so you can spend more quality time with your family? Check out our resources section below and schedule that call NOW, or listen to the full conversation HERE to learn more.
Additional Resources:
– Apply for your FREE customized blueprint of the 5 Piece Bridge to Escape Operations HERE
– Join the FREE Get Paid for Estimates Masterclass HERE
– Hear our clients’ success stories HERE
—
The Construction Leading Edge Podcast helps construction business owners maximize their revenue, eliminate chaos, systematize their work, and win back their time.
Follow us on your favorite podcasting platform so you never miss an episode!
