Starting your own business requires more than just an idea and some gumption; it also demands that you find someone to collaborate with, who shares your vision, and works well with you. Finding the right business partner who shares your vision and has complementary skills can make all the difference when it comes to growth, marketing, and building relationships with customers.
A bad business partner can bring down even the most well-run company, so it’s important to know how to find the right one if you want your business to succeed.
Choosing the right person can be tricky, though, which is why there are so many stories of partnerships gone wrong (or never even getting off the ground).
While there’s no guarantee that you and your prospective business partner will ever get along, certain tips can help ensure you find someone with compatible interests and complementary skills willing to put in the work and share the financial rewards of your new venture.
Learn how to find the right business partner with these 10 tips.
Contents
1) Do your research
Choosing the wrong business partner can be disastrous to your company, so it’s important to do your research before selecting any person.
If you have a friend or colleague with a business looking to sell their stake, ask them to partner with you. You can also ask other people in your industry who may know someone. Just be sure to verify their identity on Nuwber so that you don’t end up partnering with a fraudulent person.
2) Consider your compatibility
It’s important to find someone who shares your values and is committed to the same long-term vision as you are.
It can be tough to know whether or not you’re compatible with someone, but here are some questions that might help:
- What does success mean for you?
- What are your top three priorities in life?
- How much time do you want to spend working each week?
- What kind of company culture do you want to create?
- Do you have any hobbies outside of work? Which ones are more important to you?
- Would you rather take on one big project at a time or several smaller projects at once?
- Are you comfortable with taking risks, or would you rather play it safe?
- Are you good at working independently, or do you need someone to motivate and guide you?
- Finally, do you prefer a structured environment where everything has its place or something looser that allows for creativity?
3) Make sure they have complementary skills
Finding the right business partner is an important step in starting a business. When looking for a new partner, ensure they have complementary skills and share your interests, goals, and values to help you take your business to the next level.
To do this, identify what you want to do in the world and then figure out how your potential business partner can help you get there. One way of doing this is by mapping out what needs each of you has that need filling. Then, find out if their needs match yours, as well as what they have in terms of expertise and experience.
For example, if you are an introvert and need help with marketing, consider partnering with someone who can handle those tasks. Or, if you’re great at coming up with ideas but not so good at executing them, find someone who will be able to bring your vision to life.
Ask them about their strengths, weaknesses, likes, and dislikes; ask them about their family history; learn what they would like their legacy to be.
When looking for someone to work with, you and your potential partner must share the same vision, values, and goals. This is vital to your business success because it means you’re both working towards the same aim.
You’re not just choosing someone who can help you with your idea and bring in an additional perspective; you’re also choosing someone to spend your waking hours with regularly, so it’s important to find someone who shares your values and work ethic.
As much as it sounds like common sense, this is one of the most important things to consider when looking for a potential partner. You want to make sure you’re on the same page with your goals and what each other’s expectations are before you take any steps forward.
If you’re not on the same page, it can lead to disaster down the line, which is why it’s important to get all of this figured out before you decide to be partners with anyone. If you have different goals, it’s time to find a new business partner.
5) Check experience and credentials
Experience and credentials are key to finding the right business partner. The experience and credentials of your potential partner will help you determine if they have the skills, knowledge, and expertise to help you succeed. Plus, experience with your industry or business sector can also be valuable.
6) Set boundaries, together
Setting boundaries together can help you find the right business partner. By setting boundaries together from the beginning, you’ll be able to find a good fit instead of wasting time on an incompatible match.
Start by figuring out what you are looking for in a business partner, and then let the other person do the same. You’ll learn about each other’s expectations, work styles, and long-term goals.
7) Get on well with them in person
Getting on well with them in person is essential to a successful business relationship. So how does getting on well with them in person help?
Getting on with someone will help you build an honest, trusting, and mutually rewarding relationship. You’ll be able to bounce ideas off each other, discuss your successes and failures openly and learn from each other. This will allow you to work better together and trust each other’s abilities.
8) Figure out how you’ll divide responsibilities
One thing you might want to think about when considering what type of partner would be best for your company is how responsibilities will be divided.
Will there be one person who handles sales and another who manages marketing? Or will one person manage finances while the other handles hiring?
It may take some trial and error, but ensure both parties are on board with how things will run so there are no issues later on.
9) Invest in training together
Investing in training together is important in your personal and professional lives. It will be very difficult to find someone who agrees with you on everything, but you must both be invested in growing and learning together to achieve your goals as a team.
It may seem counterproductive initially, but investing in each other means that you have support when one of you needs it most. If there is any disagreement about how something should be done or what path to take, agree to try it their way for a while and re-raise the topic later.
10) Don’t rush into it! Take time to find the right person
Indeed, some business relationships work well when they start as friendships, but it’s important to take time to find the right person with whom you can share your dreams.
Take things slow and get to know each other before making major decisions. You need someone trustworthy and reliable to help carry your workload or fill in during emergencies.
Bottomline
Don’t be afraid to spend some time considering the various aspects of each partnership opportunity you come across, and don’t rush into anything.
Finding a good business partner is one of the most important decisions you can make in your career, so take your time and find someone who will complement your skillset while also having your best interests in mind.
Once you have found that perfect match, work on maintaining a healthy relationship with them by remembering that it is still ultimately up to you as the business owner.
