spouse's business (lease, payments, income, work from home)

[callalillies]

Hi,
My husband has a business that has been bleeding money for over a year. He has an office space that is a complete waste of money which is 800 bucks each month plus over 100 bucks for phone line and internet. It makes me sick how much money is being lost...

I gave it a chance and 100% supported it in the beginning. However, he dumped a lot of the work on me, because I work from home. So he had me running back and forth from the office, fielding calls, doing the taxes/bookkeping, etc. He wanted to dump more on me such as teach a certain software tool. But I only had 6 months of experience in that tool while he's had a decade of experience in it. To me it made no sense to do that, because I didn't know it. But he thought I should do it because my English was better. So I suggested for him to go to a speech therapist (whcih is located in the same building as the office!). He wouldn't do it.

Anyway, after a year of having everything dumped on me and him not doing his 110% effort in making this business successful, I completely pulled out of the business. Needless to say, estimated quarterly payments aren't being paid, the bookkeeping isn't being updated and the business is bleeding even more.

I have no issues w/ him trying to launch a business or spending some of his discretionary income on this. But how much is being spent and the time that it is interfering w/ our regular very well paying jobs is what I have a problem with. He could easily do what he's doing from our home office. There's no reason to have an office for 800 bucks a month plus an additional phone/fax/internet line.

How do I resolve this issue?

[qdogfball]

Umm.. if you are married, you will end up hurting yourself by not taking care of the tax side of things.

I would talk to him and make it plain that WE need to get out of the expenses that can be.. (leases are difficult)

You are a team, talk together.

If that doesn't work, maybe you two aren't a team (even in marriage.)

[dougie86]

Originally Posted by callalillies

I have no issues w/ him trying to launch a business or spending some of his discretionary income on this. But how much is being spent and the time that it is interfering w/ our regular very well paying jobs is what I have a problem with. He could easily do what he's doing from our home office. There's no reason to have an office for 800 bucks a month plus an additional phone/fax/internet line.

How do I resolve this issue?

I wrote a long reply but lost it. I hope you've more or less resolved your differences by now and have constructive plan in place.

1 logistics
since your work from home, does it help if if you were to spend say 2 days a week in the office.
your strong points = PR/Customer Services/English + accounting/taxation
his = technical + knowledge base/teaching

2 office lease + phone/fax/internet + utilities (water/elec/heat/aircon)
if you cannot break the office lease
check the lease agreement if it is ok to
- rent out a table/chair (office space) to a 3rd party
- act as mailing address for others who do not have an office address
- receive and send faxes for others
to reduce your costs & expenses

[8 SNAKE]

Originally Posted by callalillies

How do I resolve this issue?

Which one? Do you want to work on your husband's business or the marital issues that seem very evident in your post?

[BUDT]

Hi, I have some ideas, but I would rather keep things private, if that's O.K. with you.

[jjreview]

Originally Posted by BUDT

Hi, I have some ideas, but I would rather keep things private, if that's O.K. with you.

I can't help you with your relationship issues. But I can suggest something that worked out pretty well for me. A virtual office is basically a shared office. You get your own local number, receptionist, fax, email, voicemail, etc. I use CES Virtual Offices, and it's been pretty convenient so far.

Since you work from home, it might work out for you.