If there’s one thing I’ve learned in the last few years of business, it’s that no partnership is truely equal. If everything is 50/50 then nobody has control.

Some partnerships work. Maybe it’s two designers pooling their collective resources in order to taking on bigger projects. Maybe it’s someone highly skilled in design and the creative elements of freelancing, coupled with someone highly skilled in a business sense - the one I like to call “the face”.

If you are considering taking on a partner, forming a new business with a partner or entering an existing business as a partner then you need to be sure of a few things.

• Is this person or persons the right one to get involved with?
• What agreements exist in place between partners?
• Where does the responsibility lie - individually or collectively?
• If the partnership dissolves, what happens next?
• Do you really need a partner?

That said, here are a few links to online resources and articles you might consider exploring and reading if you are indeed looking to take or or set up a partnership.

• Locating The Ideal Partner
• Partnership Agreements - Are They Right For You?
• Before You Go Into Business With Family Or Friends
• Steps To Starting Your Own Business
• Starting A Partnership
• Creating A Winning Business Partnership
• Definition of the term “partnership”
• Setting Up General Partnerships & Limited Partnerships

The articles above are contributed by numerous authors writing for About.com. Details relating to partnerships apply across the board, regardless of where you live.

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