Finding the right business partner takes time and consideration. You want to find a partner that is a good fit for you and your business. You never want to rush into a business relationship.
Finding the right partner is similar to other relationships, it takes time and thought. The producers of Services On TV did a bit of research on this subject and came up with a few useful suggestions on finding the right co-founder for your business.
5 Traits to Look for in a Business Partner
Complement Each Other-you want to find someone who’s strengths complement yours. You may be very organized and have a particular talent while your partner has strong leadership and people skills or vise versa.
Integrity and Honesty-you want to go into business with someone you can trust. Take a look at this person’s track record. How do people view him? Do other people trust him? The last thing you want is to go into business with someone who will create more headaches than solutions.
Adapt to Change-starting a company is very stressful and takes a person who is confident and can adapt to change. It’s important to find someone who doesn’t panic when things get tough. A new business brings challenges and surprises quite often in the beginning and this takes a person who doesn’t sweat the small stuff.
Passion-when you start a new company you need to have passion for what you’re doing. It’s your passion that will keep you going. There will be long nights and plenty of weekends full of work at the beginning.
You may be wondering how you’re going to find someone with all of these qualities. Start by using your networking skills. You network to find business and investors, so why wouldn’t you network to find a co-founder? You can start by going to industry conferences, joining business organizations, entrepreneur groups and more. You should also try LinkedIn and Facebook company pages to find people who meet the criteria your looking for.
