Sucre is a city of micro enterprises. The lines between business and household are often blurred: accounts are mixed, space is shared, and partners from outside the household are rare. On the surface, this kind of business organisation seems most inadequate for economic success. Yet a closer look at the internal workings of Sucre's businesses suggests that the complex `balancing act' between business and household may represent not sloppy management (as micro enterprise development agencies often maintain), but a flexible strategy for household well-being.