Posted on Fri, Aug. 13, 2004    SAME TIME, SAME PLACE WORKING WITH YOUR SPOUSE CHRIS CUMMINS/Special to The Star   Marco and Jan Simonelli are owners of Photo Mementos, a photography studio based in Lee's Summit. The Simonellis opened the business about a year after they were married. The business requires long hours, but Jan Simonelli said, “This way we have the best of both worlds — work and marriage. We can both be workaholics and still have a great relationship.”   For Marco and Jan Simonelli, working together is a snap. The Simonellis own Photo Mementos, a photography studio in downtown Lee's Summit, where they've been partners in business since marrying three years ago. “We met on the Internet,” Jan says. “Marco lived in Padua, near Venice in Italy.” As they got to know each other online, the couple realized their work interests dovetailed perfectly. She had worked with graphics at Hallmark and Kodak, and his specialty was e-commerce solutions. Both excelled at photography. Love blossomed, and Marco made plans to move to the States, get a great job and marry Jan. Unfortunately he arrived in August 2001, just weeks before the terrorists struck. Jan remembers switching to Plan B. “9/11 happened, the economy crashed, and we said, ‘Let's make our own store.' ” So they did. Photo Mementos opened in June 2002, specializing in modern portraiture and digital collaging. “I really enjoy the creative work-flow process,” Marco says. “We have fun just being together and coming up with effective solutions.” “In business, you have to keep redefining yourself, deciding how to market yourself, that sort of thing,” Jan says. “Most of the time it's a peaceful process, but sometimes it's not because we're two people who are both always right.” “But there's a lot of commonality between us,” Marco observes, “and usually we agree.” “He's more pragmatic, and I'm more creative, so he has to bring some reality into my thinking when it comes to things like money,” Jan says. Still they each appreciate the “freedom to air our point of view and have it be OK. It's not a deal- breaker if we fight.” Business life goes up and down, and it can be a challenge to leave the headaches at the office. “One of the pitfalls is that when you're away from work, you're always talking about work. Because our lives are so in sync, when there's a stressful time at work, we're both stressed out at the same time.” Other couples may have a spouse at home who can comfort them, but “when we have stressful times, we are both very vulnerable.” “We try to be gentle in those times,” Marco says. “We may be tempted to fight, but we are very careful with each other.” Overall the Simonellis believe partnering with a spouse is a terrific idea for small-business owners. “To keep a small business running, you have to put in 12-hour days,” Jan notes. “This way we have the best of both worlds — work and marriage. We can both be workaholics and still have a great relationship.” For a list of About.com's top book selections for couples working together, visit marriage.about. com/library/weekly/aatpbkbusiness.htm. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tips for married co-workers • Share a mutual passion for your chosen business. • Treat each other as professionals. • Specifically outline each person's duties, at home and at the office. • Define how money will be handled. • Decide how family situations will be addressed. For instance, which is more important: your daughter's recital or your meeting with a vendor? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- © 2004 Kansas City Star and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved. http://www.kansascity.com