Enter Into Joint Ventures With Caution

By Justin Bryce

A joint venture, or JV, is the name for the entity created when two companies or individuals create a mutually beneficial partnership. Joint ventures can be a great means for small businesses to gain market share or increase their skills and services. In order to create a successful JV, however, there are a few things to keep in mind.

A joint venture entered into without research or caution is setting itself up for failure. If both parties don't take the process seriously they could lose valuable time and money, or worse destroy their business. To avoid these pitfalls, there are several things one can consider: choose your partner carefully, make sure you share a common goal and above all, stay organized.

The choice of partner is the most vital part of starting a JV. You should know the person well enough to have confidence in them and to know whether they are trustworthy. There are plenty of fast talkers out there who are eager to separate a fool from his money. As with everything else in life, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

It's best to find out as much as you can about any partner candidates you're considering. Look up information about them online and ask them for references and a detailed resume.

Knowing as much as you can about your partner is important, but it can be detrimental to enter into a business agreement with a close friend or loved one. If the JV were to fail, you could lose a valuable relationship along with your business. It can also be tempting to cut corners if you're working with a friend. It can be awkward to write out a binding legal contract that outlines both of your responsibilities when you would rather just trust the person to uphold his or her end of the deal. If you give in to this temptation, it might turn out that you never had the same long-term vision of the JV at all, and it can turn into a disappointment for all involved.

Just like in a marriage, it's good to look for a partner that balances your prominent traits. Maybe you're good at keeping financial records, but you have trouble thinking of creative marketing campaigns. Look for a partner who can add some pizzazz to your joint venture. In turn, she might not be the best bookkeeper, so your skill set will compliment hers as well.

Determining that both you and your JV partner share a common vision is another important aspect. To reach a particular goal together, you must both know what the goal is and understand how you're going to get there. If your partner believes the goal of the JV is to grow the business to a very large one, and you believe the goal is to keep the business small so you can run it on the side, you're not very likely to work well together. You can't possibly reach both your and your partner's goals because they conflict!

Good organization can help ensure that your and your partner's visions match. To begin, create a business plan that clearly defines what you want to achieve and when you expect to achieve it. The plan also explains who will bring which assets and skills to the table.

As much as you might want to keep your partnership friendly, you must create a formal, binding contract. This document will keep everyone on safe legal footing if their responsibilities are called into question.

Time management is also a must when going into business with someone else. It's important to know your limits and not to bite off more than you can chew. Starting a joint venture can be stressful, and you won't be able to do everything at once. Take your time and complete one project at a time, and everyone will be much better off. Make sure your life can allow for the additional stress of a joint venture before signing any agreements with a partner.

With the right partner, shared goals, and clear organization, a joint venture can be one of the best means of increasing your company's size, skills, and customer base. Just make sure you spend time learning everything you can about how the joint venture will work for you, who your partner is, and how you can reach your goals together.

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