A successful business strives to develop and grow beyond borders, including state borders. In many industries - from applied sciences and high technologies to the sale of services and goods - it is very important to start working with foreign counterparties. Cooperation with foreign partners opens up new opportunities and can become a guarantor of your reputation. Or, at a minimum, add stability to the company. And this is not to mention the fact that foreign companies often also want to develop in Russia.

How to prepare to work with foreigners?

Before concluding an agreement with a foreign partner, you need to pay attention to the following points:

1. Research the market.
2. Create connections. In many countries (but more on that later), personal acquaintance and communication are important to get started. Joint activities with a foreign company are only possible for you after you have established relationships.
3. Enter into a detailed agreement. Everything said must be recorded on paper. Of course, you know this very well. But a very important point when working with a foreign partner is that legal norms and documents can and will be very different from Russian ones. Be sure to consult with lawyers in both (or all) countries.
4. As a legal entity, consider the structure of your work in terms of the current legislation of both countries and tax regulations.
5. Check your business partner. You do this when concluding contracts with Russian companies, right? Every country has websites where you can check the company you want to work with.

One of the stages of verification: an extract from the trade register of the country of origin.

Examples of information resources:

• UK: http://www.companieshouse.gov.uk/
• Germany: https://www.handelsregister.de/
• Netherlands: http://www.kvk.nl/english
• China: http://www.cr.gov.hk and http://www.icris.cr.gov.hk/

Much depends on the form of your joint activity with a foreign company. Are you engaged in exporting or importing goods/services? Are you planning to buy within the country, or is your partner interested in a franchise in Russia? You may be planning to open a subsidiary or independent organization in another country. These are all critically important questions that need to be answered “on shore.”

Working with foreign counterparties has additional difficulties. We leave the language barrier aside for now, we trust in translators and our own abilities. The main difficulty is the difference in mentality.

How to communicate with foreign partners?

Your business partner grew up in completely different conditions, with a different upbringing and in his work is accustomed to focusing on moments that are unusual for you. What to do?

1. Study the traditions of the country with representatives you are going to work. Americans will play tennis with you and show you photographs of their beloved dog, but they do not consider you a true friend. The Chinese are always confident in the superiority of ancient traditions and consider foreigners to be superficial. The French do not appreciate speaking English. The Japanese need detailed information and a clear gradation of representatives by age and position. Even minimal knowledge of the traditions of your partner's country will give you an advantage.
2. Study the business traditions of your business partner's country. Contracts with the Germans or Finns will be clear, detailed, with clearly defined work stages and deadlines. But the agreement with the Japanese would end up being short and unclear, open to interpretation by both sides. In the process of concluding an agreement, the Chinese value calm, confident and restrained partners. The British will joke a lot and say things they don’t mean, but in reality they will show high efficiency.
3. Learn your business partner's language. Seriously. It is not necessary to speak it fluently; there are translators for this. But even a superficial acquaintance with language norms will allow you to better understand the mentality of a person who speaks this language. A striking example of this phenomenon is the combination of a clear and precise structure of the German language with the German habit of order, serious questions and thoughtful answers to them.

Even a superficial acquaintance with language norms will allow you to better understand the mentality of a person who speaks this language.

There are many subtleties in cooperation with foreign partners, starting with the language barrier and ending with differences in legal standards. A well-thought-out joint business strategy, a well-drafted contract and mutual trust within reasonable limits will lead to your long-term successful cooperation with foreign partners.

As a partnership, it is driven by an attempt to overcome the disadvantages of single ownership. It represents a contractual relationship established between several entrepreneurs for the purpose of joint ownership and management of the company. This form of business organization allows each of them to obtain the desired profit through the exchange of results of activity expressed in material form. Partners combine their abilities in conducting business and managing financial resources. In this way, risks are distributed, as well as profits and possible losses.

Main forms of partnership

As you participate in the company's activities, business partnerships may vary. Partners can play an active role in the management of the enterprise, or several participants can invest their material resources, but do not take part in the conduct of business. Collaboration in business can pursue different goals for each of its participants, while distributing the level of responsibility. This leads to the following forms of partnership:

1. A commercial. A membership-based organization whose purpose is to make a profit.
2. Non-profit. In this case, the goal of a non-profit organization is to assist its members in achieving individual goals (social, cultural, scientific, charitable, etc.).
3. Full partnership. Members bear joint and several liability.
4. Limited partnership. Participants have limited liability.
5. Strategic. Moreover, one of the partners is more economically significant, that is, more powerful in a financial sense, capable of providing the other company with resources to achieve strategic goals.

Principles of partnership in business

Relationships between people, companies and other financial market participants continually increase the value created for stakeholders. There are a number of principles on which a business partnership is built:

1. Voluntariness.
2. Common goal and interest.
3. Interdependence arising from the distribution of risks, income, and powers.
4. Emergence (the appearance of new properties as a result of combining efforts).
5. Obligations and agreement on the share of partners.
6. Collaboration.
7. Sharing resources and competencies.
8. Good communications.

Also very important for effective cooperation is the ethical side of the relationship. It lies in mutual respect and trust between partners.

Benefits of business cooperation

Due to its undeniable advantages, business partnerships are in great demand as an economic mechanism. An offer to cooperate is perceived today as an effective way to increase one’s own profits. Moreover, the partnership is organized by signing a written agreement, without additional bureaucratic red tape.

It makes it possible to redistribute various risks, and also has the following advantages:

1. Pooling the resources of participants provides new opportunities for business expansion. This not only improves the prospects for the development of the company, but also makes the organization less risky for bankers.
2. Business partnership provides motivation and interest in achieving high performance results.
3. The organization's partnership structure is more attractive to international investors.
4. High specialization in management.
5. Implementation of communication exchange.
6. Ensuring the competitive advantages of participants and achieving a balance of competitive forces.

Of course, collaboration encourages the creation of a unique business idea. Partnerships are thus a support for innovative sources. The internal potential of the organization is mobilized to achieve its own economic goals.

Main disadvantages of partnership

With all the positive opportunities, business partnerships also have certain disadvantages. They are primarily related to the problem of the division of power and the incompatibility of the views of the participants. An uncoordinated policy can result in irreversible, negative results for both sides. Difficulties may also arise when forming a business management structure.

Another negative point is the unpredictability of the partnership. Factors such as the death of one of the participants or withdrawal from the partnership can lead to the reorganization of the company or its complete disintegration.

Choosing a partner for further cooperation

The decision to attract a partner to carry out joint activities is made for various reasons. In any case, it should provide an effective business partnership.

An offer should only be made to market participants who are capable of taking responsibility and have serious potential.

The partner must be fully involved in all business processes and take an active part in its development. Partnership participants must share the vision of the enterprise management strategy. Only in this way will it be possible to avoid disagreements and the threat of premature termination of cooperation. A prerequisite is the documentary support of the partnership.

Rules for conducting a joint business

Only choosing the right approach and compliance with certain requirements guarantee successful business cooperation. Partnership will be an excellent tool and way to increase income if the following points are met:

• defining specific goals, objectives and desired results of cooperation;
• initial distribution of powers, responsibilities and income;
• making a decision on the possibility of a partner participating in another business;
• indicators in the process of cooperation, which is a test of effectiveness.

All terms of the partnership must be written and legally confirmed.

Partnership in Russian business

As such, the institution of partnership in Russia is quite young, although some enterprises use some of its elements in their activities. There are a number of domestic enterprises of this kind, as well as organizations with the participation of foreign partners.

For the economic prosperity of the state, it is very important to develop business and partnerships. Russia cooperates with many states, while increasing investment capital.

More typical for our country is the interaction between the state and the private sector to solve socially significant problems. The so-called public-private partnership has a long history, including in Russia. However, it has reached particular popularity and demand only in recent decades.

Partnership between government and private business

Several factors stimulate the emergence of relations between the state and business. Firstly, difficulties in socio-economic life significantly complicate the state’s performance of its significant functions.

Secondly, businesses are always interested in new investment objects. Thus, PPP acts as an alternative to the privatization of socially important state-owned objects.

However, the partnership between the state and business, unlike privatization, preserves certain economic activities of the country. Such relationships are most actively practiced in the following industries:

• transport, including urban transport;
• education and health;
• scientific field;
• construction of public buildings;
• financial sector.

At the same time, the state actively participates in the implementation of the production, administrative and financial activities of the enterprise, thus controlling the economic processes of the country.

Sample partnership agreement

When the fact of cooperation occurs between the parties, a business partnership agreement is drawn up. A sample of such a document could be as follows.

Partnership Agreement

[Date of]

Organization [Name of organization], hereinafter referred to as Party 1, together with [Name of organization], hereinafter referred to as Party 2, have entered into this agreement as follows:

1) Subject of the agreement.

2) Responsibility of the parties.

3) The procedure for calculations and financial reporting.

4) The procedure for resolving disputes and force majeure circumstances.

5) Duration of the agreement.

6) Other conditions.

7) Details and signatures of the parties.

Depending on the specific situation, the most appropriate form of agreement is selected. They also use general provisions regulating activities and confirming agreed cooperation in this area. In some cases, the procedure for changing is disclosed and the details are indicated at the end of the document and the signatures of the parties are affixed.

From this article you will learn about the advantages and disadvantages of partnership in business, potential benefits and threats to the company.

Collaboration with a business partner can significantly affect the dynamics of business processes. A good business partner can bring a lot of value to a company.

On the other hand, a company can benefit from one boss, if the partnership is incompatible with the specifics of a particular business activity or the partner does not have the necessary skills, knowledge, abilities, qualities necessary to.

Doing business with a business partner has its advantages and disadvantages. If you already have your own business and are thinking about finding a partner, then it is reasonable to try to predict how the partnership will affect the development of your business, profit margins, and growth prospects.

If you are just planning to become an entrepreneur, then you should weigh the pros and cons of running a business alone and with a business partner.

Benefits of business partnership

#1 Effective use of time. When you work not alone, but with a business partner, you as a team can do twice as much work.

The process of creating and managing a company involves performing a large number of tasks - meetings with potential lenders, tenants, investors, and performing basic business operations. An entrepreneur may not be able to do all this alone.

At the initial stage, financial resources are too limited to hire assistants and secretaries, so a partner can take on part of the work. In this way, time and human resources will be effectively used for business development.

#2 Diversity of skills. An associate may have different skills than you that will benefit the business. For example, one partner has expertise in engineering and research, while the other has expertise in marketing and sales.

Using different, complementary skills can lead to significant increases in productivity and success.

In addition, working with a business partner allows tasks to be distributed according to the entrepreneurs' strengths, saving time and eliminating duplication of work.

An example of such mutually complementary business cooperation is the plot of the Russian feature film ““, in which one partner acted as the inventor of a search system, and the second partner acted as a marketer promoting a product on the market, looking for investors, etc.

#3 A look from the outside. A company owner needs an outside perspective to avoid a one-sided, one-sided view of his business. You may think you have a brilliant business idea, but the emotional component can often get in the way of a sober, objective assessment.

Successful entrepreneurs believe strongly in their ideas, but they also recognize that independent outside opinions are very valuable (see tenet #8 of the ten factors for success on the Think Different strategy).

The decision-making process can be easier and simpler when two business partners evaluate the solution, exchange opinions, discuss and develop a single effective solution to the problem.

#4 Toning support. Sometimes it happens that, having started his own business, an entrepreneur gradually becomes lethargic, motivation and the rhythm of life necessary in business disappear.

Some people, due to their nature, find it difficult to maintain discipline. In the case of a partnership, responsibility appears to the partner for the effective completion of tasks, results, and mistakes. In this way, there is mutual support in the right tone (by analogy, two newcomers to the gym go to classes together to maintain each other’s motivation and discipline).

#5 Business connections. Having connections is fundamental, critical in entrepreneurship. Sometimes in business, connections are everything. For example, it was establishing business connections with the right people that helped billionaire Donald Trump enter the Manhattan construction market.

A partner can expand the list of business contacts and increase the number of potential suppliers, clients, investors, mentors, bankers, advertisers, etc.

#6 Emotional stability. Often businessmen are alternately overly optimistic or pessimistic. Excessive expression of emotions interferes with effective work, development of new projects, etc. A business partner can help you remain emotionally stable and level-headed.

#7 Mutual complementation of resources. A business partner can provide what an entrepreneur does not have and needs. For example, one businessman has suitable premises, but does not have commercial equipment, while another has the opposite. Or one entrepreneur has a plot of land, but no agricultural equipment, while another has the opposite.

Mutual complementation of resources and pooling of efforts can lead to a manifold increase in the effectiveness of joint activities.

#8 Force majeure. A business partnership can provide insurance in case of emergency situations. For example, if one of the partners gets sick, you urgently need to go somewhere, etc. When the entire business is tied to one irreplaceable person, this can become a serious problem and even a threat to the company. Running a business together reduces this risk.

Disadvantages of business partnership

#1 Differences in work ethic. Some entrepreneurs find that their partner does not share their enthusiasm and passion for the business. Partners who cannot meet deadlines, satisfy customer requests, or fulfill their responsibilities can lead the company to bankruptcy.

Even if you think you know your future business partner, you may not actually know his true identity until he damages his reputation, steals money, or gets into some kind of trouble.

#2 Lack of experience. Some partners do not have sufficient experience or skills to do their job successfully. When you take on a business partner, you expect certain results from him.

A business partner who cannot provide results can hinder the development of the company or drag it to the bottom. Angry customers, overdue loans, lawsuits, problems with the tax office, poor financial management - a typical list of problems that may arise.

#3 Disagreements in strategy

Sometimes even cooperation with a talented, highly motivated, competent business partner can cause problems, such as disagreements in the long-term goals of the company, its development strategy, or a common vision for the future of the joint business.

This leads to quarrels in the process of making key decisions, when everyone follows their own line. Disagreements between partners can cause stress, drain resources, or encourage dishonest behavior.

#4 Profit distribution. If you have a business partner, then you must share the company's profits with him. As a rule, entrepreneurs are ready to share with business partners those who are valuable to the business and make a good contribution to the company’s business.

But it happens that a business partner receives undeserved remuneration, incommensurate with the contribution he makes to the overall business. In the long term, this leads to deterioration of relationships and increased psychological tension.

#5 Difficult relationships. If a business partnership is organized between members of the same family, relatives or even spouses, then disagreements in business can leave an imprint on personal relationships.

#6 Responsibility for the actions of a partner. An entrepreneur is responsible for his business. If your business partner breaks the law, you may also end up in court. This can result in fines, penalties, damages, or even jail time in the case of a criminal offense.

Having a business partner creates a certain stress, the need to monitor his actions to make sure that everything is within the rules, regulations and laws.

#7 Reputation. Even if your business partner does not break any laws, some of his actions may tarnish your reputation. Incompetence, unprofessionalism, irresponsibility, negligence, or negligence of a partner can cast a shadow on the reputation of your company, which has been created over the years.

Whether to start a business partnership or not is up to each entrepreneur to decide for himself. When choosing a partner, it is important to evaluate the ratio of the benefits that the partner will bring to the company to the possible costs.

What other advantages and disadvantages of a business partnership do you think? Have you had any interesting life experiences related to a business partner? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Doing business alone is problematic, and sometimes even futile, so you simply need an assistant in this matter. In the business world, he is called a business partner. In business since the beginning of the 20th century, there has been such a thing as partnership. And it means participation in some business. This is a derivative of the word partner.

A partner is a person or company who is engaged in a certain business and is united with a like-minded person by a common idea, or business. There is one more word that characterizes such a person - this is a companion.

There are several types of partnership: informal and formal. In this case, the partner is an individual. A partner can also be a company or firm, that is, a legal entity.

The official interpretation of the concept of partnership: this is a form of business that is registered at the legal level. It can be commercial and non-commercial, as well as complete and incomplete.

An informal interpretation of the concept of partnership: this is a business organization where there is no legal basis. It is used as a strategy to achieve the chosen goal of business partners on mutually beneficial terms.

If the partner is a person, then the area of ​​business where the human personality matters is most often individual entrepreneurship.

And if any organization acts as a partner, then this is a business niche where business relationships are built between legal entities.

In any business, be it a growing business or a stable company, partners are needed. The whole point of partnership is support, and this does not only apply to financial or organizational assistance. In today's business arena, it is very difficult to manage on your own, especially during a crisis. And our partners will help with this.

Ideal business partner.

This does not exist, but if you try to find the right qualities in a partner, it will bring your partner closer to such a title.

So what qualities should you use to choose a business partner?

Business practice shows that this is:

• competence;
• professional quality;
• responsibility;
• hard work;
• persistence in achieving goals;
• reliability;
• decency;
• independence;
• confidence;
• openness.

This list could be continued further, but it makes no sense, because... All of the above constitutes the basis. One of the most important qualities of a partner is the desire to support and develop a joint idea. Also integral is financial solvency, a creative approach to business, and psychological stability.

The meaning of partnership is complementarity, that is, one has qualities that the other does not have. And together they achieve their goal. In addition, financial incentives and mutual fulfillment of all tasks and requirements play an important role. Only in this case can success be expected.

Everyone chooses for themselves who is more suitable for the role of a partner, so it is difficult to say what an ideal companion should be.

Advantages and disadvantages of partnerships in business.

Such relationships always have their positive and negative sides. And when concluding a partnership, you need to be prepared for certain characteristics of your new business partner.

Advantages of business partnership:

• companion support: financial, consulting, organizational and most importantly emotional.
• division of responsibility - in this case, responsibilities are divided equally;
• the possibility of delimiting areas of activity and control;
• quick response to problems from several sides and a multifaceted vision of the problem;
• reducing business risks due to the greater knowledge and skills of each partner, etc.

They are profitable in the partnership business, they are obvious and only increase as the business prospers.

Disadvantages of business partnership:

• distribution of income depending on the role and contribution of each participant to the common cause;
• the need for the ability to adapt to the partner’s personality, taking into account individual character traits;
• in the event of termination of partnership relations, a division of the common business will occur, and this can lead to significant damage to the company.

The disadvantages in such relationships come from the inability of partners to delimit powers with each other.

The most important thing is to maintain distance between partners; if there is a step beyond the boundaries of such relationships (in this case, friendly ones), then this will lead to the collapse of the business itself.

Compromise is a prerequisite for mutually beneficial business; it lies in understanding and tolerance towards your partner in business. Listening allows associates to take their business to a higher level, which is what all business owners ultimately want.

Finding a business partner: where and how to find one?

Not a big problem now. The Internet is simply a wonderful assistant for those who want to have a companion.

With the help of the World Wide Web, you can find a business partner in absolutely any way:

• development of your website;
• bulletin boards;
• specialized websites and forums;
• various internet blogs;
• mailings, etc.

Using these methods, you can easily and quickly find a business partner, without spending a lot of money.

There are also individuals who do not trust the Internet very much and look for partners among friends and acquaintances, or by recommendation. In this case, there are pros and cons.

Another great way is to place advertisements in the newspaper or organize the distribution of flyers on the street.

Based on the above, we can conclude that there are many ways to find a partner. And only you can choose how to do it better. There are absolutely no restrictions.

Conditions for working with partners.

Integrity is one of the important qualities for both partners. But when everything goes well, there is a stable and large income, disagreements begin between the partners. And this is always accompanied by personal hostility and the redistribution of one’s own business. In addition, it is quite possible that at the beginning of a business relationship, one of the partners may have missed documentary evidence of their rights to the business and profits, which will further aggravate the matter.

The ideal option in a partnership would be to create a legal entity, for example: an LLC, which will ensure equal distribution of property and business in the future if there are problems. A limited liability company allows for a documented division of the property of partners when one of the participants leaves.

In the event that the partners are not ready to register a legal entity, both business participants simply need to register as individual entrepreneurs, but do not forget that in this case of organizing a business, a person’s liability will be equal to all his property.

If this is not suitable, then you can draw up an agreement between individuals with all the nuances of interest and have it certified by a notary.

To be on the safe side, be sure to indicate in it: How much money each of them contributes to the common business, and what conditions will contribute to the distribution of profits from the business, as well as what the partner can count on when leaving the business. This will also come in handy if both partners are registered as individual entrepreneurs.

In addition to all of the above, you need to insure your own cash deposits and loan agreements. It is also possible to create an agreement for the provision of various services, which can become a guarantor of payments for the partner’s work.

In conclusion, I would like to note that business partnership is a widespread phenomenon in business, and with a competent approach and timely drawn up legal documents, it can work to your advantage, as it has many advantages. But the most important thing is the desire of both business partners to bring the common business to success, mutual understanding, revenue and teamwork.

Business, and marketing in particular, relies heavily on your ability to create and develop healthy partnerships.

Successful business usually involves partnering with other people and firms to achieve goals and accomplish big goals. Sometimes the partnership is formal (as in the case of support services outsourcing), sometimes it is more complex (as in the case of cooperation with partners in the field of sales development).

If you are wondering exactly how to build productive business partnerships and mutually succeed, then this post will come in handy.

Here are 9 key steps to creating a successful and lasting business partnership from Ed Rigsbee, author The Art of Partnering.

1. Be prepared to share control

It is natural for entrepreneurs to strive for maximum control over their destiny. But partnership always involves a certain degree of openness and even vulnerability to risks and failures on the part of the partner.

2. Soberly assess your strengths and weaknesses

Before entering into a partnership agreement, you must evaluate what exactly you and your firm are going to offer the partner and what you expect to receive in return from the partner.

The easiest way to solve this problem is to conduct an assessment of the company's strengths and weaknesses based on a SWOT analysis chart. If you are honest with yourself, you can determine how you will help your partners and what you expect from partners in a certain area.

3. Choose the right business partner

Look for people and companies that have strengths in those areas and issues where you have weaknesses and vice versa. For example, if you have excellent products, but insufficient experience in sales, then you should look for a company as a partner that has a mediocre product, but the success in sales is simply deafening.

It is important to assess the readiness and desire of the other party to enter into a business partnership. Just because another firm has capabilities and resources that you do not, you should not expect that firm to want to become your business partner.

4. Partnership can only be built on the basis of consensus.

Once you have agreed and discussed a potential partnership with another company, work out a business agreement that outlines who will do what within the business partnership. Create an action plan and focus it on what you are going to achieve together as you work.

In a formal partnership, you will need a written contract. In an informal partnership, you should still create a written road map that outlines a detailed plan of activities, expectations, and responsibilities for each partner.

5. Practice strong business ethics

Compliance with ethical standards between partners is what a business partnership actually rests on. The golden rule here is the statement “Be the kind of business partner you would want to be your own partner.” It is not enough to simply be honest; you must eliminate the very possibility of dishonest or unscrupulous behavior towards your business partners.

Additionally, ethics are even more important if your business is a high-risk business. As Benjamin Franklin said: “We must all hang together or assuredly we shall all hang separately”; Franklin uses a play on words: hang together - English “to hang together”, “hang separately” - English “to hang separately” Note editor).

6. Deliver even more than you promised

In a successful partnership - especially one that is built on the basis of a signed contract - mutual trust is very important. The best way to increase trust is to always give even a little more in a partnership than is written down on paper.

To give an analogy from the non-business world, the best marriages are distinguished by the fact that they not only fulfill mutually the minimum requirements for husband and wife (including maintaining marital fidelity), but every day in them the spouses simply strive to make each other happier.

7. Be patient

If difficulties arise in a business partnership, do not immediately fall into despair, stir up conflicts and throw accusations. Be the first to meet your business partner halfway. If it's all about money, suggest ways to resolve financial issues or buy out your partner's share.

In addition, try not to bring proceedings with your partners to court. The trial will bring you little benefit, even if you are lucky enough to win the case. But most likely, the only people who will win in such a trial are the lawyers.

8. Spend time monitoring and measuring metrics

One of the reasons why business partnerships fail is ineffective communication. In the context of your joint business, this means that you and your partners must measure performance and communicate effectively about it.

Focus on ensuring that communication is reciprocal and that both parties are involved in monitoring the relationship at the micro and macro level. Then, if difficulties arise, both parties will be ready to quickly resolve problems.

9. Celebrate even small victories

In the process of developing a partnership on a long-term basis - from a handshake to long-term contracts - emotional support is essential to ensure that both parties are satisfied and get value from the business relationship. As your partnership develops, both parties must invest energy and time into developing and strengthening the partnership.

The easiest and best way for this development is to celebrate the achievements of your partners. Each market and business achievement must be accompanied by the payment of certain bonuses to employees and partners.