The 5 Secrets of a Great Business Partnership

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One of the biggest reasons I've had success over the years is because I've been fortunate to have great business partners committed to great partnerships.  I was recently reflecting on some of these relationships and analyzing what has made them work so well and what I found was very interesting.

There are so many reasons that these partnerships have worked so well and produced, but after review, five of them really stood out.  I have labeled these the 5 Secrets of Great Business Partnerships.

​#1:  All Parties Are Aligned for the Long-Term

One of the most important secrets of a great business partnership is alignment on timing.  It is very hard to succeed if one partner wants to get in, make some money, and get out quickly while the other is taking an entirely different view.   Additionally, I have seen many times that if the whole point of the partnership is to "make a quick buck" then it usually doesn't work out.  Great partnerships blossom over time and usually the biggest successes come later down the road after the partners have worked together for awhile.  If you are looking to partner with someone or another company, make sure that you both have a long-term view in mind.

#2:  Treat it Like the Marriage That It Is 

A great partnership is very much like a marriage.  In fact, you may spend more time with your business partner than you do with your significant other at times.  And like a marriage, not everything is going to be sunshine and lollipops all the time.  There will be times where you aggravate each other beyond belief.  There will be very hard times and hurdles that you have to maintain your commitment to each other through.  There will also be amazing times and lasting memories.  But, it is very important that you go into things committed to it like a marriage, realizing that you will grow closer together over time and have to learn each other ways, accept them, and learn to love each other for it - even when those things potentially drive you nuts.

#3:  Be Open About Your Strengths and Weaknesses with Each Other Before Partnering

One important secret of great partners is that they are fully transparent about their strengths and weaknesses going into the relationship.  They don't see weaknesses as a detriment or a bad thing.  They see them as an opportunity for the partner to fill the gap.  If you don't lay these things out on the table prior to starting the relationship; you may get into it and find that you have the same weaknesses or strengths and that the partnership is not as strong as it should have been.  Great partnerships always share some of the same strengths and weaknesses, but they compliment each other in their bigger deficiencies.  Make sure to use this secret to your advantage.

#4:  Your Spouse or Significant Other Approves

If you are going to essentially be married to someone else alongside your spouse or significant other, they better like each other or it will create massive headaches for everyone.  A huge secret of great partnerships is that their spouse or significant other approves of who they are partnering with. After all, they are, by default, partnering as well.  Make sure that your spouse or significant other and potential partner meet beforehand and spend time together with you.  If they can't get along and if your spouse or significant other has serious reservations about them, you're better off not going into business with them.  Keep looking for a partner that checks this box in addition to the others.

#5  Can You See Yourself Genuinely Caring for Them Like Family? 

The fifth secret is that great partners genuinely care about each other and their families.  They see each other almost as family - so it goes beyond business, and so does the bond between them.  If you are evaluating a potential business partner and they are checking the boxes in the other secret reasons above, make sure that you can definitely answer the question, "Can I see myself genuinely caring for this person and their family and well-being - not just a way to help me in business?"  If you can answer that in your head and your heart and act in accordance with it, you are ahead of many partnerships in your relationship.