Leave my job and work with DH?

[LunaHardy]

Not an AIBU as such, more of a WWYD, but posting for traffic. Long story short, DH has a company, trader. He's done the job since teens but went SE not long after we met. He's great at what he does but not business minded so I helped him set up. Have done loads for him over the years in spare time and when on mat leave, I know the company inside out. Still do his bookkeeping and helped him set up new premises and interview new staff etc. In the last year or so the business has boomed and it's more than I can manage in my spare time now. He's hired a part time admin assistant now who's great but it's still not enough. He wants me to come on board full time. We've always discussed it but I never expected it to actually happen, or at least so soon. I have my own successful, reliable career and I earn well. I'm in two minds about leaving my career to go and work with him, for various reasons. He thinks it's a no brainer as I know the business inside out and if I didn't join him he would have to employ another person full time anyway. WWYD? Take the risk? Or stay in my career and take a back step from the business we grew together?

All the reasons for not doing it are what ifs. What if the business fails, what if you split up, what if the world explodes.
I’m risk adverse and I still say go for it. Sometimes you have to take a risk to get a better balance in life. The positives far outweigh the the what ifs - you’ll have more flexibility for your child, you’ll be personally invested in building a company rather than working for someone else, your husband is willing to make you a 50% shareholder to help make you feel like you’re working together.
Worry about what might happen in ten years time then. Don’t let it be a chain around your neck now

They are indeed all what ifs and sometimes in life you need to take a risk.

My dh works in a trade and I left my career to run the admin side when he became self employed. It coincided with us having dc so meant I could be at home when they were little, at school etc as I could work around them.

The business has been running 15 years now and we have grown a lot, now employing others as well as having apprentices. When we changed to ltd I became a director with 50% share of the business. Yes I do get bored at times as admin was not what I trained in but the positives far outweigh the negatives. My time is relatively my own so I can work around what suits me, I have been home for dc which has been great as ds needed help to get to where he is now and i could help out at school when needed. I love working with dh as we are a good combination of skills and building the business with him is excellent.

It has been a worry during furlough as all our income is in one basket but we are fine and the business is doing well.

@Kahlua4me I feel exactly the same. I love running our business. It has allowed me a massive amount of freedom to look after the children, take long holidays ( we work remotely) and earlier this year we moved overseas and run our business from there with staff based in the UK . @LunaHardy sometime you just have to take the leap of faith . Good luck

Thank you so much everyone! I'm back in the office as of Monday (after WFH since lockdown started) so I will see how I feel! Definitely swaying towards take the risk after your responses though!

Good luck with your decision. I think there is merit in investing your time in a shared venture that has a sound financial future. Be careful that 'more flexibility' doesn't leave you run ragged doing everything with the business and the childcare - stick to certain hours, keep employing help for admin/childcare/housework almost as you would if you were in employment. That's an investment in making it work well, being valued, and ensuring you have job satisfaction.

I wouldn't but that's because I have a probably quite unreasonable anxiety about ending up back in poverty and need to know if one of us loses their income, the other is still bringing one in. I keep being told I could make a lot more money going freelance in my current job or doing locum via agencies and I probably could but the lack of security would make me ill with stress!