Creating Great Business Partnerships

Starting a company takes time, dedication, and perseverance. More often than not, new business owners underestimate their own workload, especially in terms of what it takes just to get their company up and running. It's easy to burn through time and money without even realizing it, all of which is happening when the stakes are high and you're under pressure as you try to ensure the company's success. Being an entrepreneur requires taking risks, as I'm sure you were aware when you signed up. And in this critical infant stage of your business, you know that if it doesn't work out, you may never recover from the loss of resources and self-esteem. This scenario is stressful and frustrating enough. Add a partner's expectations and differences of opinion, and it can have disastrous results. Now consider if that partner is a close friend or even a spouse. Don't get me wrong, I'm certainly not suggesting that you should go it alone. Having a business partner can be incredibly advantageous, since that means you're sharing risk, responsibility, and financial investments. Considering these types of assets, having a partner may even be the difference between being able to start a company vs. falling short of having the resources you'd need to even begin. However, with that said, there are certain aspects of the partnership arrangement that you need to think about, talk about with your partner, and formalize in writing - yes, even if they're your spouse. This book will lead you through the 9 specific components of business partnership that - for the sake of your company, your own personal finances, and your peace of mind - must be formalized in writing. It doesn't matter how well you (think you) know the person you are considering going into business with. The items covered in this book are absolutely crucial to the successful start and end of a partnership, and may well be just what helps protect the relationship you had together before starting the business. If you are considering starting a business with a partner, or if you are already in the process of doing so, then this book is a must-read!

The Founder's Dilemmas examines how early decisions by entrepreneurs can make or break a startup and its team. Drawing on a decade of research, including quantitative data on almost ten thousand founders as well as inside stories of founders like Evan Williams of Twitter and Tim Westergren of Pandora, Noam Wasserman reveals the common pitfalls founders face and how to avoid them.

With funding for nonprofits shrinking and global markets shaky, our business and social sectors are both confronting an increasingly uncertain future. Many organizations are searching for innovative strategies that will counter the mounting pressures felt by communities and corporations alike. Common Interest, Common Good argues that forward-looking businesses and social sector organizations (both nonprofit and government) can solve many of their problems by working together-while serving the common good in the process. According to Shirley Sagawa and Eli Segal, alliances between for-profit and the not-for-profit industries yield enormous benefits for both. Businesses can boost their bottom line by leveraging a nonprofit partnership to enhance their image, reach new markets, increase consumer loyalty, and build a positive reputation with current and prospective employees. The upside is just as powerful for nonprofits, because an alliance with a corporation can provide crucial funds and visibility while helping to attract new volunteers and donors. Common Interest, Common Good showcases many such successful partnerships, from corporate sponsorships and cause-related marketing to employee volunteer programs and school-to-work initiatives. The authors also offer some much-needed guidance for avoiding many of the pitfalls that can undermine even the best alliances. A convincing, deeply felt book by two authors who have devoted much of their careers to helping public and private sectors find profitable new ways of working together, Common Interest, Common Good is a guided tour of the progressive new strategies that can contribute to the purpose of our businesses and the prosperity of our communities.

A practical guide for providing exceptional client service Most advertising and marketing people would claim great client service is an elusive, ephemeral pursuit, not easily characterized by a precise skill set or inventory of responsibilities; this book and its author argue otherwise, claiming there are definable, actionable methods to the role, and provide guidance designed to achieve more effective work. Written by one of the industry's most knowledgeable client services executives, the book begins with a definition, then follows a path from an initial new business win to beginning, building, losing, then regaining trust with clients. It is a powerful source of counsel for those new to the business, for industry veterans who want to refresh or validate what they know, and for anyone in the middle of the journey to get better at what they do.

In The Partnership Charter, psychologist and business mediation expert David Gage offers a comprehensive guide to the art of establishing and maintaining a business partnership. The centerpiece of his approach is the Partnership Charter, a document that clearly outlines the goals, expectations, responsibilities, and relationships of the principals. The charter identifies potential sources of conflict and how they will be resolved, while addressing such sensitive issues as personal styles, values, money, and power. Illustrating every principle through engaging stories drawn from Gage's front-line experience consulting to business partners, as well as interviews with the founding partners of such successful businesses as Progressive Insurance Company and Manpower, Inc., The Partnership Charter dispels common myths and presents a practical framework for launching, building, and sustaining a thriving business partnership.

Explains how top brands have maintained a competitive edge, how rapid Internet-based networks are challenging the control of brand reputation, and how companies can safeguard marketing messages for maximum clarity, focus, and profit.

Google, Microsoft, Apple, Starbucks, and Wal-Mart are "category killers." Why? One key to their astounding success is that they have mastered the art of creating highly attractive partner and customer value propositions. They have all built their business on the principles and practices of Partnership Marketing to offer superior products, create long-term distribution opportunities, new revenue streams for their businesses, and increased brand awareness on a world-wide level. Developing an affiliation with the right partner allows both parties to realize successes that they could not have otherwise achieved on their own by transforming their individual strengths into mutual performance. Whether you're an entrepreneur working to expand your customer base and increase value or a corporation looking for cost-effective ways to stimulate growth and brand-presence on a tight budget, Partnership Marketing is a practical in-depth guide to this core business concept. A powerful strategy in good times, partnership marketing is an excellent way to gain competitive advantage and grow your business even in tough, recessionary economic conditions. As marketing resources are being slashed everywhere, coupled with employee lay-offs and cutbacks to existing programs, partnership marketing is a creative way to do more with less. Partnership Marketing provides the complete how-to of collaborating successfully with other organizations, including: how to align PM objectives to your resources; how to assess what you have to offer a partner-brand and how to leverage your core strengths; how to search for the right partner-brand; how to assess the pros and cons of partnering with other brands; and much more.

Business partnerships are vital to the US economy yet their failure rate is alarming: 70% of them don’t make it. Dr. Lehavi is leading the charge to reverse this statistic. As a business partnership relationship coach, she intimately knows the impact that these partnerships have on cofounders, employees, customers, families, local communities, and global markets. Business Partnership Essentials walks you through every phase of the process—from choosing the right partner and operating your business on a daily basis, all the way through to exit and planning for the unexpected. This book is not a book on business startups and so it does not address the finances of starting up a partnership, but rather, it focuses on agreeing on all aspects of your relationship with your business partner. Following Lehavi’s guidance will ensure that you’ve done everything you can to help your partnership succeed.

Bronze winner of the AXIOM Business Book Award in the category of Philanthropy, Non-Profit, Sustainability. Please see: http://www.axiomawards.com/77/award-winners/2017-winners This easy-to-read and engaging book is the perfect introduction to how to build a sustainable brand for your organization. Intended as a roadmap that can be readily applied by busy managers and practitioners, the book includes interviews with business leaders, including Paul Polman of Unilever, Adam Elman of Marks & Spencer, and Jonas Prising of ManpowerGroup to provide insight into best practice and clear guidance for implementation. Throughout, the book avoids jargon and theorizing to ensure readability. Business on a Mission is based on more than a decade working with some of the first businesses to develop social missions and shows the foundations behind their success. It looks at how businesses can profit from working hand in hand with society and identifies a model for success. The book demonstrates how businesses can go from hiding behind "social shields" to picking up "social swords" and presents the six criteria to look for in assessing a social mission. It also focuses on how good communications can build trust and bring about positive change; and it provides clear ways to engage employees and improve productivity as well as "rules" for communicating social missions externally. This optimistic book explains the benefits of partnerships in the sustainable development agenda, particularly between businesses and NGOs. The book features guidelines for avoiding dysfunctional partnerships, and presents interviews with Marc Van Ameringen, Executive Director of GAIN (Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition) 2005 to 2016, and Myriam Sidibe, Social Mission Director for Africa, Unilever, on how things can be managed to the benefit of both partners. .