Start & Run a Graphic Design Business. Michael Huggins

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ

      While this is a good idea, it often makes it difficult to fully outline the roles and responsibilities of each partner. It’s hard to equate your partner’s equal share of work with your equal share of work. It’s also difficult to fully appreciate and agree on the value of each other’s skills. What one partner does may not be as highly valued by the other partner. In fact, it’s not unusual for the designer to feel a little abused over time because he or she seems to be doing all the work, with little or no downtime, while his or her partner appears to be finished his or her work on time and heads home for the evening.

      Resentment can also build around the topic of “grunt” work. Grunt work is the “heavy-lifting” part of the business. If one partner feels this type of work is not equally distributed and shared, it can have an adverse effect on the partnership.

      2.4 Businesses evolve and change

      After taking months to make careful plans for the direction of your company, a new opportunity may present itself and impact your business. A marketplace may dry up and your company is forced in a new direction that was not part of the plan. Or the market might face some drastic changes that greatly affect your business. In all cases you need to be flexible and ready for change. This might change the commitment level for you or your partner. Change itself brings new pressures. Where one individual may thrive in the face of change, another may become discouraged and exhausted.

      2.5 Most business owners who have partners warn against it

      Consider this: Those who have been in partnerships often advise against it. I’ve spoken to many entrepreneurs from many different businesses and backgrounds (not just design). I’ve yet to find one person who unequivocally endorses going the partner route. Even if they are in a good partnership, they always caution on the commitment, communication, and likemindedness a person needs to make it successful.

      3. A Positive Spin on Partnerships

      The following story gives you another view on partnerships. This story is from Matthew Rogers, who is the principal owner and founder of Primarily Rye, a creative communications and design firm based in Nashville. Rogers and his partner, Nate Hook, speak very positively about partnerships.

      “Our business is founded on the partnering principle. It actually gives us our differentiation in the marketplace. We use the partnership model to attract and inspire those who work with us to work hard to attain partnership status,” says Rogers.

      Their firm serves clients all over America and currently focuses on the telecom and securities industries. Hook explains, “Although we focus on a couple of specific markets right now, we won’t limit ourselves to only one particular industry.” Their model is a simple one. Gather people together who have a range of design and business expertise and package them together to deliver a highly creative and profitable product for the end user — the client.

      “We try not to turn down any project that requires a creative solution,” says Rogers. “We would rather find a solution to the problem by discovering someone who has an expertise in the area. But we don’t want someone who is a ladder climber or an opportunist. We want people who have total buy-in to the vision of this company. Partnerships are a great way to get that buy-in and commitment.”

      Their business model is based on performance. In other words, a person needs to prove himself or herself first before they bring him or her on board. In many cases Rogers and Hook bring on specialists in their field to work with them first on a contract basis. But the big difference between their firm and others is that they will often share the profits with those who are critical to the project’s success, in order to determine if the person is a good fit for a partnership in the firm.

      “Another advantage of having a partner is having access to someone to talk and vent to. Though it might not seem like a big deal right now, being able to work through your thoughts by sharing with someone is a big deal, especially if you’ve ever been on your own,” says Rogers.

      That’s not all. Hook adds, “When you have a partner, you have someone you can trust. Someone who is on the same team as you. You basically get a cheering section and a determined designer who is motivated to work towards the end goal of the client’s ultimate success. What you do benefits them, and vice versa. So there is more openness to sharing ideas and thoughts, and not the typical guardedness that is rampant in the design industry. That means you can bounce ideas off your partner and get a fair and honest response. If the idea has merit and it represents an opportunity for the company as a whole, we will obviously consider it. We don’t shut down the process of sharing ideas — we foster it.”

      When asked about the challenges of partnerships, Rogers says, “The biggest one is the process it takes to find the right partner. Finding a good partner who is compatible with you, your work ethic, and your corporate vision is not an easy thing to do. It can take months and sometimes up to a year to find the right person.” Rogers says that trust is a paramount concern when looking for a partner and that can be extremely challenging. “You need to trust that person implicitly,” says Rogers. “To do that, you need to invest time, money, and energy. Take this step lightly, or rush the process and you could end up with more problems than you solve.”

      4. Keys to Building a Successful Partnership

      The following sections include some tips that will help you make the best choice if you decide to go through the process of selecting a partner.

      4.1 Enter into partnership slowly

      There is no need to rush into things. In fact, if you are rushing into a partnership with someone, you should stop and think twice about why you are doing it. Working together with someone can be a breeze if you get the right person, and sheer agony if you don’t. Try a working relationship before committing to a partnership. Consider it a test-drive to get to know each other. Talk about everything you can including ethics, values, and goals. Look for alignment and agreement before moving ahead into a partnership.

      4.2 Clearly outline your performance requirements and standards

      You won’t get the type of partner you want unless you address the issues and expectations head-on. Outline what your expectations are in regards to performance, and cover them in detail. Make sure you ask for a list of performance expectations from your potential partner and create a system that will help you both measure and stay accountable to them.

      4.3 Talk money

      You will need to discuss how you and your partner will be paid. Will the money be equally split, based on performance, or a percentage of the total earnings? What happens if your company fails to make its target revenues? There are many questions that need to be answered in regards to money. Don’t take any situation for granted. Discuss the money issue in detail and get it in writing. You will both be better off for having gone through this discussion.

      4.4 Talk it through

      As you take time for the partnering process, be sure to talk through as many possible scenarios as you can think of. Share stories or examples of past experiences and ask your possible partner to comment on them. Listen carefully to see if the person is on the same wavelength as you are. This is an excellent way of finding out how he or she views the world. If you discover you have different value systems, you may have difficulty in your partnership together.

СКАЧАТЬ