Two tales from Washington state give couples thinking about starting a business together a bit more to think about.

This Yakima Herald-Republic Online article looks at two local couples who started or purchased two very separate businesses and the challenges they faced. If anyone is thinking of going this route, the article is definitely an interesting read. One of the couples bought a furniture store from the husband’s father:

From the beginning, the Sabaris assigned themselves job descriptions. Nate, a jack of all trades, spends most days building custom- and stock-designed furniture in the workshop. Sue sticks to bookkeeping in the office. Neither one tells the other what to do, and that arrangement works for them, Sue says.

Their lives became more complicated 17 months ago, when their son Harper was born. Now, while Nate works at the store about 60 hours a week, Sue sticks to a more modest schedule of 20 hours. Harper spends this time scaling furniture, taking naps and “helping” his dad sweep sawdust in the shop.

“Harper is climbing and falling, and I still need to get work done,” Sue says. “Sometimes I think it’s nuts.”

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The advantage of owning their own business — which has one employee — is that they make the rules, Nate says.

“I like the fact that I can be down here and have my family here at the same time,” says the 32-year-old Nate. “If I want to close my doors, I can close my doors. If I want to go on vacation, I can.”

That’s not to say the two don’t have their challenges. If the business doesn’t do well, they’ll be the last ones paid. The responsibility can be scary, Nate says.

“There are no breaks,” he says. “Christmas, you still get bills. New Year’s, you still get bills.”

Another issue is learning how to separate their home and work lives — and not snapping at one another if they’re in a bad mood.

“If you have a cruddy day, it comes home with you,” Nate says. “If there’s something wrong, we walk away from each other and hash it out later. We communicate, share why we’re frustrated. You can’t dwell on it.”