Couples and families that work together

Tuesday, 14 May 2019

They say never go into business with your friends or family.

But some couples and families working together have multiplied their success.

Music moguls Beyonce and Jay-Z boast a combined estimated net worth of US$1.2 billion (NZ$1.8b), and tech entrepreneur and philanthropist couple Bill and Melinda Gates US$89b and then there are the Kardashians.

Closer to home small businesses are the backbone of New Zealand's economy. Most are owned by families or couples like Rachel and Rod Klaver.

* Couples who make working together work

* Juggling work and play: 4 couples who live and work together, all day**

Rachel Klaver started her marketing company, Identify, four years ago and after a senior staff member unexpectedly left, her husband Rod Klaver, pitched in to take off the pressure.But six months in Rod stayed on.

'We realised we were actually working really well together and our skills were really well balanced. I tend to be a big picture thinker and Rod is really good at tying the little threads together, and that works really well as a business for our clients,' she said.

The Klaver's have been together for six years and working together for 18 months.

She said the only challenge was trying to avoiding work talk after hours.

'We talk about work pretty much all the time. But if we're hanging out with other people we don't tend to talk about work.

'It's really hard to switch off.'

They both own the business which worked well for the work relationship, she said.

'Neither one of us is the boss because we run different parts of the business. I will defer to him about systems and processes and Rod would defer to me for strategy with a client.'

All big decisions have to be run past both of them.

Working together full time meant the Klavers were able to cut staff numbers to one part-time worker and a few contractors, down from 14 part-timers.

Klaver said she had previously been in business with friends, but that didn't work out as well.

'The people I worked with before were quite similar to me. One of the reasons we work quite well is because we are opposite and deal with things in very different ways.'

'We don't have a fiery relationship. We have a solid relaxed relationship built on friendship.'

Every year the Klavers take a complete break away from their busy lives, often holidaying in Fiji. But detaching completely from work was a challenge giving the industry they worked in.

'We work in marketing and with small businesses, so switching off is hard. But we're working on that by taking time out in the week. Rod will go to golf and I will get some swims in.

Chia Sisters, Florence and Chloe Van Dyke say their differences help them work together.

'I don't think you should be working hours and hours in a business. That, to me, means the business needs help.'

She said she looked up to media entrepreneurs Jason Gunn and wife Janine Morrell-Gunn.

'They're a real powerhouse. They have each other's backs and I really admire what they do.'

The advice she would give is respecting each other's boundaries and support each other.

Another successful business partnership that works is the sisters behind the multi-award-winning Nelson drinks company Chia Sisters.

Chloe Van Dyke started Chia seven years ago and after her sister came on board about two years ago, the company has expanded its export network and gone on to win several accolades.

Media entrepreneurs Jason Gunn and wife Janine Morrell-Gunn are role models for Rachel Klaver.

This year her younger sister Florence Van Dyke was named Forbes' 30 under 30 game changers in the Asian region.

Chloe van Dyke said their differences also made them work better.

'We know what makes each other tick, we know how much we can push each other because we've been doing it our whole lives,' Chloe said.

'We're also very different, I've got the science background. I like to create and innovate and Florence is amazing at implementation.'

Other powerful Kiwi business partners who share more than business ownership:

* The Mowbray Siblings. Nick, Anna and Matt started toy company Zuru in a shed on a dairy farm in Tokoroa. The company is now worth millions, employs more than 5000 staff in 18 offices around the world and sells in 121 countries.

* The Gilmour Siblings. Sophie Gilmour opened Ponsonby eatery Bird on a Wire about three years ago. Sister Mimi Gilmour Buckley also runs popular restaurants Burger Burger and founded Mexico. Their mother Emerald Gilmour, ran Auckland's upmarket Club Mirage in the 1970s.

* Filmmaker Sir Peter Jackson and his partner Fran Walsh have also been business partners in multiple ventures.

* Tenby Powell is married to high profile entrepreneur Sharon Hunter. Together they run Hunter Powell Investment Partners.