Index du Forum

aderfp633 · Inscrit le: 27 Sep 2011 Messages: 7915 Localisation: England

{Ask the experts: Would having a partner make it easier to be successful?}
Bridget Field, Lisa McGregor and Jess FreeseTue Aug 20,[url=http://www.moncler-sale.org]moncler on sale[/url], 2013 12:01am PSTBridget Field: Client services manager, Small Business BCThere are advantages and disadvantages to partnering with another person when starting a business. The same also goes for an existing business that might be considering bringing on a partner to enhance the team.First,[url=http://www.moncler-sale.org]moncler sale[/url], the partnership has to be the right fit for both parties. I recommend doing a personal inventory of your own skills,[url=http://www.moncler-sale.org]discount moncler jackets[/url], background, education and experience, then identifying gaps that a potential partner could fill. In a partner you should look for someone who will bring a complementary set of intellectual assets to the business. Choosing a partner with the same background, education, skills and experience is just “you times two.” Once you have established a good fit (e.g., they’re great at marketing and sales, while you’re great with financial forecasting, accounting and business strategy), you have to determine if your vision, values, goals and objectives for the company are aligned. Write these together and include them in your business plan and strategy. The better the fit, the more successful the partnership.Then there’s the money. Who is bringing what into the company in the form of cash, equity, tangible assets, intellectual property, etc.? What is the profit-sharing agreement? What happens if one of the partners decides to leave the company? What happens if your partner is sick or can’t continue in the business? Are you both taking an owner’s draw? How much? Is it equitable for the investment you each bring? If you’re incorporating, write it into your incorporation documents. If it’s a general partnership (unincorporated), get it in writing, even if your partner is your best friend or a relative. Draw up an agreement that outlines your roles and responsibilities and what you’re both bringing financially. Your chances of being successful are better if you have all of your agreements in place so there are no misunderstandings from verbal agreements.Lisa McGregor: President and CEO,[url=http://www.moncler-sale.org]moncler sale[/url], Whistler NaturalsThe answer to whether to have a partner join me on my adventure into business ownership was easy: with my goals and dreams there was no way I could do it alone. I have some great talents for business, but the only way to reach perfection was to find someone who complemented and balanced my qualities and I his or hers. There are too many benefits to partnership to list here, but investors know that value. If you plan on looking for investors down the road,[url=http://www.moncler-sale.org]moncler on sale[/url], they often will look at partnerships only because they recognize the value of partnership and want to put their money into businesses they can see being successful. However, the journey can be tumultuous and, if planned incorrectly,[url=http://www.moncler-sale.org]discount moncler jackets[/url], can lead to disaster. Before jumping into bed together, I recommend a detailed plan that lays out each of your positions and who is in charge of what and answerable to whom.In a perfect world, you would be able to have a 100% equal partnership, with equal workloads, responsibilities and decision-making; however, this rarely happens. People are not equal and believing so will only set you up for failure. Differences that make a partnership strong can also tear it apart. There will always be one person who takes on a larger share of the workload, one better at the hands-on mechanics of the job and someone who enjoys making decisions and driving the business. I recommend even going so far as to give each other work titles and make one person president/CEO. Create a detailed organizational chart, fill in all the positions your business will require (marketing, accounting, customer service, HR, etc.) and then go back and fill in partners’ names under the departments they will be responsible for.Finally, plan a worst-case-scenario strategy. Like a marriage, you don’t go into it believing it won’t last, but it’s important when heads are still clear to discuss a strategy if the partnership begins to unravel. This could save your business, and friendship, in the long run.Jess Freese: Co-owner,[url=http://www.moncler-sale.org]moncler down jackets[/url], SunwolfMy short answer is no, I don’t think having a partner makes anything easier. However, I do think that having a partner makes it more likely that you will be successful in business.Like any other relationship, a business partnership involves a lot of additional communication, negotiation and compromise. In the case of a well-balanced partnership,[url=http://www.moncler-sale.org]moncler outlet[/url], where each of you has different strengths and brings different skills to the table, you may be a stronger leadership team but you will also have more to disagree about. But a partner is someone who can moderate your wildest ideas, bounce ideas around,[url=http://www.moncler-sale.org]moncler down jackets[/url], share the heavy load of a million decisions every day and keep your energy up when you would otherwise run out of steam.My husband, Jake, and I started Sunwolf with our best friends. After nearly three years working together, they left the business in February.In our case, we would never even have got involved in our business without our partners. They were a key reason why we wanted to do it. We would certainly never have gotten through the first few years without their energy,[url=http://www.moncler-sale.org]moncler outlet[/url], enthusiasm and sheer hard work. Starting up a business is exhausting, and when one of you is feeling low, having a partner to carry you through a dark day is invaluable.But as the cracks in our partnership began to show, we realized that our life objectives and working styles were so different, and we became almost incompatible. Fortunately for us, we recognized the problem quickly, and our partners left the business before we jeopardized our friendship. Jake and I now run a successful business without our partners.Would we be running a successful business today if they had never been involved? I don’t think so.Tags: people, Small Business BC
_________________
People watching the forthcoming beginning of the German half of the inhabitants of Berlin are no interested in co-optation

Index du Forum -> Accessoires -> Ask the experts: Would having a partner make it ea