9 Things to Consider Before Forming a Business Partnership

There are advantages to forming business partnerships. It allows all contributors to share a part of the business. Depending on the risk-taking ability of the partners, businesses may have general or limited liability partnerships. Limited partners are only there to provide funds for the business. They have no role in running the business, nor do they share responsibility for any debts or other business obligations. General partners manage the business and share their liabilities. Because limited liability partnerships require a lot of paperwork, people usually form general partnerships in business.

Interesting points prior to laying out a business organization

Business partnerships are a great way to share your profits and losses with someone you can trust. However, a poorly executed partnership can be a disaster for the business. Here are some effective ways to protect your interests when forming a new business partnership:

1. Be sure of why you need a partner

Prior to going into a business organization with somebody, you want to wonder why you want an accomplice. If you are just looking for an investor, a limited liability partnership is sufficient. However, if you are trying to create a tax shield for your business, a general partnership would be a better option.

Business partners should complement each other in terms of experience and expertise. If you're a technology enthusiast, working closely with a professional with extensive marketing experience can be extremely rewarding.

2. Understanding your partner's current financial situation

Before asking someone to do your business, you need to understand their financial situation. When starting a business, some initial capital may be required. If business partners have sufficient financial resources, they will not need funds from other sources. This will reduce the firm's debt and increase owner's equity.

3. Background check

Even if you trust someone as your business partner, there is no harm in doing a background check. Calling some professional and personal references can give you a fair idea of their work ethic. A background check helps you avoid any future surprises when you start working with your business partner. If your business partner has a habit of sitting for long periods and you don't, you can divide the responsibilities accordingly.

It's a good idea to check if your partner has any prior experience running a new business venture. This will tell you how they performed in their previous attempts

4. Hire an attorney to check the partnership documents

Be sure to seek legal advice before signing any partnership agreement. This is one of the most effective ways to protect your rights and interests in a business partnership. It is important to have a good understanding of each clause, as a poorly written contract can leave you in liability trouble.

You must ensure that any relevant clauses are added or deleted before entering into the partnership. Because it is difficult to amend the contract after signing.

5. Partnership should be based on commercial terms only

Business associations ought not be founded on private connections or inclinations. There should be a strong accountability mechanism from day one to track performance. Responsibilities should be clearly defined and performance metrics should indicate each individual's contribution to the business.

Weak accountability and performance measurement systems are one of the reasons many partnerships fail. Instead of putting in their efforts, the owners start blaming each other for the wrong decisions and the consequent loss of the company.

6. Your business partner's level of commitment

All organizations start amicable and with extraordinary energy. However, some people lose their enthusiasm along the way due to the daily drudgery. Therefore, you need to understand the level of commitment of your partner before entering into a business partnership with them.

Your business partner should be able to demonstrate the same level of commitment to each stage of the business. If they are not committed to the business, it will reflect in their work and can even be detrimental to the business. The best way to maintain the level of commitment of each business partner is to set high expectations from each individual from day one.

When entering into a partnership agreement, your partner should be aware of additional responsibilities. Responsibilities such as caring for aging parents should be given due consideration in order to set realistic expectations. This leaves room for empathy and flexibility in your work ethic.

7. What happens if a partner leaves the business

All organizations start amicable and with extraordinary energy. It will outline what happens if a partner wants to exit the business. In such a situation some questions need to be answered:

How will the departing party be compensated?

How will the property be divided among the remaining business partners?

Also, how do you divide up the responsibilities?

8. Who will be responsible for everyday tasks

Even if there is a 50-50 partnership, someone should be in charge of the daily operations. Positions including CEO and directors should be assigned from the outset to appropriate individuals including business partners.

It helps in creating an organizational structure and further defines the roles and responsibilities of each stakeholder. When each person knows what is expected of them, they are more likely to perform better in their roles.

9. You Share the Same Values and Vision

Entering into a business partnership with someone who shares similar values and outlook makes day-to-day operations much easier. You can quickly make important business decisions and set long-term strategies. However, sometimes, even the most like-minded people can agree on important decisions. In such a situation, it is important that the long term goals of the business are kept in mind.

last line

Business partnerships are a great way to share liabilities and raise funds when setting up a new business. For a business partnership to be successful, it is important to find a partner who will help you make decisions beneficial to the business. Hence, pay attention to the integral aspects mentioned above, as a weak partner can prove to be detrimental to your new venture.