The statistics are overwhelming. Couples live longer than
single people. One study reported that the mortality rate for
single men aged between 30 and 59 is two and a half times higher
than those who are married. Though some of the theories point to
quality of life and earning potential, the most compelling reason
is deeper than that. As social animals, we function better and cope
with stress more easily when we’re in a trusting relationship.
After a hard day, for example, there is someone at home to talk to
– to air your thoughts. Whether running errands, keeping the
household going or raising a family, on so many levels, the best
marriages are like a partnership. And in business…the best
partner- ships are like a marriage. We often spend more time with
people at work than we do with our own families, so some of the
same dynamics should exist at work as at home. Many entrepreneurs
say of their companies, “it’s like a family,” it’s only fitting
then that the family should have two parents. We all know the
increased stress and pressure that single-parent households face.
Whether a formal relationship or not, the best business partners
also have strong emotional bonds. This is the person with whom you
can close the door and share doubt and expose your vulnerability.
This is the person with whom you can bounce ideas and figure out
the best way to “raise the kids.” But more than anything, partners
keep each other going. Being an entrepreneur can be a lonely
affair.
Unlike working in a company, the person at the top doesn’t
have peers. Whether a formal equity partnership, a senior employee
or a right-hand-man or woman, a franchisor-franchisee, every
entrepreneur needs a partner…a business husband or wife. Every
entrepreneur needs someone they trust and who trusts them. And if
for no other reason, having a partner you love working with will
just help you live longer.
