Where to look for a partner?

A lot has been said about how important a business partner is and what qualities should you look for in a partner. Today, let us talk about hunting a partner.

Who can be your business partner? Where to look for one? Like life partners, one has to hunt hard for a business partner also, or may be harder. For you have to look for a person who has the same work ethics as you but different skill-sets.

While same work ethics will help in eliminating trivial arguments, complimentary skill set of partners helps in business development. Each partner can take care of their area of expertise, thereby, sharing the burden and growing the business at a faster pace, simultaneously.

So where does one look for a business partner? Here are some possibilities where you can find a partner for your business:

Colleagues: Several entrepreneurs choose to start business with their colleagues. It’s easy to have a working chemistry when you have already worked together. You get to know each others work ethics and level of dedication so its easier to work together.

Vikas Rana CEO of Must See India, an online travel portal, which he started with two other partners says, “I started my online travel business with two other people Sanjay Goel and Karan Whokhan. Sanjay is a college friend and Karan was a colleague. Before we got together for the venture we made sure that we had a good professional chemistry with each other.”

Siblings/Family: This is one of the most common forms of partnership in India. People in the same family have similar bringing up and the blood bond; it is easier to work together. The popular Punjabi restaurant famous for Punjabi cuisine, Punjabi by Nature, was started by a brother-sister duo, Arjun and Piya Puri.

Partnership with spouses is also not rare. While you share a similar life style and vision one also gets to spend more time with each other.

Friends: To have a good chemistry who can be better then a friend. The level of trust that needs to be there between business partners will already be there between friends. You might share the passion also. Friends can criticize and be criticized at the same time and not take it to heart. The most important they can appreciate the value that you bring for the company.

Network: Go to business events in your local area or in one of the major cities near you. You never know whom you’re going to meet. Everyone attending such events is there for networking. You might come across somebody with a similar vision and complimentary skill sets. Of course to know about their dedication towards work, ethics and to strike a rapport you will have to make an effort.

In the west there are websites exclusively for hunting business partners.

This might sound impractical but when marriages can be fixed online through portals then why not business partners? The trend has not caught up in India well but it might not too far. So stay tuned!