Soul Proprietor - Partnering Up, Not Down.

Most heart-centered businesses are solo ventures. After all, our work is usually one-on-one. There’s not really a need for a sidekick if that’s the way you tend to work. But there are times when a partnership could be valuable, even for solo acts.

An example of a partnership might be collaborating with a colleague to create an online program. Both parties can bring their skills together and serve a wider audience than they might if they were doing it alone.

Partnering up has so many benefits: a shared work load (goodbye overwhelm!), greater potential for creativity (two heads are better than one), and, best of all, it’s less lonely when you join forces with a colleague.

But before you start dialing up your peers with sugary visions of a business hookup, hear this: there are just as many, if not more, cons to working with a business buddy.

Partners flake out. Sometimes, they don’t hold up their end of the bargain…which leaves one person holding an empty bag (or paying for everything). In the worst case scenarios, the collaboration turns sour for whatever reason and now you’ve got backstabbing and drrrammmaaa….(think: Taylor Swift’s “Bad Blood”, Business Edition).

Yes, that latter situation does happen…a lot.

Here’s how to avoid that and other conundrums should you decide to team up with anyone for anything:

Pick your partners carefully. Take your time. Get to know them and how they work so that you are not surprised when they constantly miss deadlines. (Tip: do not pick someone who is so busy with other things that they may not be able to deliver.)

Be clear on the vision. If you both have the same game plan from the get-go, you’re more likely to succeed. If your ideas are vague, this could lead to problems down the road. Clarity upfront, please.

Hammer out your agreements right away. Yes, I suggest you have an agreement in place, preferably written. Your agreement should spell out responsibilities (both work load and financial), boundaries, and what might happen if things go sideways. A “getting out of this” clause needs to be included just in case.

Communicate regularly. This is one of the top reasons why partnerships go south. All relationships require strong, honest, and frequent communication. Talk. Listen. Do both often.

Leave other people out of it. Sometimes, when things are not going well, you may be tempted to bitch about the situation with other people. This will violate the trust should your partner find out. Keep it classy and let the problems remain behind the scenes…and between you and your partner. If your collaboration falls apart, no one needs to hear the dirty details either.

Be an adult. That means, if you agree to work with someone on a project, a business idea, or even a mastermind, show up and do your part. That way, even if things don’t work out, at least you’re walking away like a pro.

There is nothing better than having a business buddy to share ideas, create cool things, and just be in cahoots together. It’s fun. And if you do it right, it can be a rich + rewarding experience that will take your business in exciting new directions.

“If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” ~ African proverb.

Blessings,

Theresa