Business partners can offer the best and the worst when it comes to sharing a business, which is why you should always have a business partner agreement. In the beginning, it can be enormously helpful to have a partner in crime, someone to brainstorm with, and a likeminded soul to open a new company with. This allows you to share financial burdens, which can be considerable not only in the beginning but can also continue throughout the life of your business as you must keep up requirements in maintaining capital. A business partner can handle a large portion of the workload along with you, and help you not only decide how to run the business but move forward in hiring employees, independent contractors, establish intellectual property, and more.
Just as you should have structure within your company though, you should have structure in your business partnership. This all begins with the partnership contract. And while you may have known this partner for many years—most of your life even—it can be extremely valuable to have everything in writing, comprehensively. Like any other relationship, the partnership should have boundaries, beginning with titles that outline roles; for instance, you may be the CEO and in charge of all the major decision making while partners will operate in other upper management capacities. Establish percentages that each partner has in the company, and delineate job duties also, although they may continue to be fluid over the years.
Difficult decisions for the future can already be put into place with the business contract too. What happens if one partner dies? What if a partner wants to move on to other interests and sell their shares? Speak with your business attorney about outlining how all these issues should be dealt with so you don’t end up with a new partner you didn’t plan on later or lose out on having first right of refusal to buy your partner out. Include a dispute resolution clause too, outlining how any legal issues should be resolved, whether in litigation, mediation, or arbitration. It is also typical to decide where such action would take place and who would pay attorney’s fees.
Do you need legal assistance with a business dispute? If so, contact the Bolender Law Firm. Our attorneys are experienced in representing clients in state and federal courts, at both the trial and appellate level. Call us at 310-320-0725 now or submit an easy consultation request online. We are here to help!