Business owners have a reputation for trying to do it all singlehandedly. In the first times of starting your business, you might feel just like you’re putting on several hats-too many, in fact. For this good reason, you might consider dealing with a business partner. But, how will you find and cultivate a business partner relationship like this? I asked several entrepreneurs their advice on how to find a business partner; they distributed to me where they found their business partners, and what advice they would give to entrepreneurs hoping to begin a business partnership.
While you may be fortunate enough to meet your future business partner in line for coffee one morning hours, not everyone finds themselves in such serendipitous situations. Sometimes, you have to do some legwork, and go out of your way to search out a great business partner. Listed below are several places to find the perfect partner for your business.
Choosing a business partner from your co-workers, either those you currently work with or from a previous job, can be a great way to find someone to begin your business with. It’s not only convenient, but choosing a business partner that you have already worked with can give you a huge advantage over deciding on a partner you haven’t worked with yet.
You know how your potential mate does business. You understand if they’re hardworking, reliable, and honest-or if they’re the sort to waltz into work each morning 20 minutes past due, or spend all day long complaining about their hangover. Choosing a business partner from your current or previous coworkers means you’ll probably already have a concept of how well both of you work together as well, which can save you heartache down the road.
- Where to grow
- Develop an implementation plan for those solutions (brief/middle/long) term
- General review
- Online help site
- Export consulting
This one seems easy, but partnering up with friends is one of the most common ways to find a business partner. We saw it with David Daneshgar of BloomNation, and countless other businesses have been started because friends made a decision to team up and work together. “Our close friends are usually the best business partners,” says Viola Ng, co-founder and marketing supervisor for Pointshogger. Though she recommends partnering with a close friend, Viola points out that the friend you choose to partner with doesn’t need to be your platonic spouse. Partnering up with friends has its inherent potential drawbacks: It’s possible that if the business venture goes south, you might overlook the companionship.
But, if you have clear communication, choose someone with a personality and skill set that compliments your own, and be sure you are both on the same page, several concerns can be prevented. We’ll cover that more later whenever we discuss the simple facts to consider before choosing your lover.
Jillian Darlington, creator of the MomCo app, fulfilled her business partner on HeraHub, an internet networking community that offers coworking space for ladies. I came across Beth Bryan. She experienced recently been let go from her corporate and business job and was doing consulting work for some local companies and business owners,” says Jillian. “We immediately were and clicked the perfect team because our skills complemented one another.
After three weeks of working collectively, Beth approached me about investing and becoming a long lasting part of MomCo. If you’re a member of any online networking groups, this can be a great place find your business partner. If you don’t presently belong to any groupings, consider signing up for one; there is a networking group for virtually every occupation under the sun.