The entity created when two businesses, individuals, corporations or other legal participant join forces for strategic reasons is called a joint venture, or JV. Joint ventures can be very beneficial for small businesses looking to grow their customer pool, or larger businesses seeking innovation or new ideas. To create a successful JV, both parties must approach the situation with a certain degree of gravity.



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.

Choosing who you want to partner with is the most important part of setting out on a path toward a successful joint venture. Your partner must be someone you trust -- or ideally a person or organization you know very well. There are plenty of slimy smooth-talkers out there who would be more than willing to take your money and run. If they're promising you fame and fortune overnight, it's probably too good to be true.

Take the time to research your potential partner. Look into their past business practices, ask for references and proof of past successes. Make sure they can deliver what they're offering.

On the other hand, while it is good to know your partner well, it could be disadvantageous to know them too well. Entering into business ventures of any kind with friends or relatives can be a risky proposition. If things take a turn, you could lose both your business and a valued personal friendship. It can also be tempting to skip vital parts of the process when you partner with friends. You might overlook a formal agreement, and later discover you had completely different goals and visions of the JV.

It is also advisable to seek a partner with skills that compliment your own. You should trust them, but not be so close that your personal relationship will interfere with day-to-day business operations. Maybe you enjoy designing new advertising campaigns, but you can't find last month's electric bill to put it in your expenditure log. You could look for a partner with better organizational skills.

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.

Along with a clear business plan, it's important to draw up a binding contract that outlines the legal details of your JV. This agreement will articulate the legal responsibilities of each party.

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.