Knowing a Good Joint Venture When You See One

11 October

Posted by webmaster

If you are a small business owner or thinking of becoming one, you have probably heard the term "joint venture" or JV. All this means is a partnership between businesses that have specific interests in mind, such as combining their strengths or sharing their customers. When two parties enter into a joint venture, they are actually creating a new business entity entirely.

The term "joint venture" actually refers to the reason behind the partnership, and not the partnership or new entity at all. There is no legal requirement for entering a joint venture -- anyone can do it. Individuals, limited licensing companies (LLCs), corporations, farmers' markets, co-ops and any organization can form a JV. Similarly, the new company created by the joint venture can be an organization, corporation or other legal entity.

It's common for very large businesses to enter into joint ventures. In fact, they often need them in order to enter new markets or attract fresh blood. Some countries have laws in place that demand that any foreign business must create a joint venture with a home-grown company before doing business in that country. This can work to the foreign company's advantage if they don't plan to move operations overseas. Having people on the ground where you're doing business is the easiest way to watch the local economy.

Even where it's not required, joint ventures offer fantastic benefits when they're not taken too lightly. One reason many small businesses enter into joint ventures is to take advantage of the products, skill sets or customer base of another company.

Let's take an example: You run a computer sales store but don't offer computer repair services. Your customers continue to ask about these services, and you repeatedly turn them away, recommending the guy who owns the little repair shop down the street. You realize that you could both benefit by creating a business partnership, and he agrees to your joint venture idea. You both benefit. You no longer turn customers away, and he gets all the business plus a cut of the profits.

Joint ventures can be cause for celebration for all parties involved -- or they can be a huge disaster if you're not careful. Successful joint ventures have five common characteristics. They are: 1) Creativity; 2) Persistence; 3) Visualization skills; 4) Negotiation skills; 5) Client relationship skills.

Creativity is one of the most important of these characteristics. You must be able to think outside the box to see many different ways your business could benefit from a joint venture -- and all the different joint ventures your business could fit into. There are possibilities for just about anyone who's interested -- provided that you know where and how to look for them. It's also important to be creative when explaining your plan to a potential partner -- you don't want them falling asleep on you.

Persistence will come in especially handy as you begin to explain your ideas to those you'd like to partner with. This is especially true if you're approaching other small businesses who may not understand how joint ventures work.

You must be able to look beyond the present and visualize how your side of the partnership will fit with the other business's contribution. If you look ahead and see problems, you must iron them out before you make any firm commitments. Look for the bigger picture, or the bigger picture might not be as pretty as you'd hoped.

You need to expect a lot of negotiation with your partner while you're laying out your business plan and detailed agreement documents. You want to protect your interests, and of course your partner wants exactly the same thing. Sometimes you will disagree, and you must be willing to show determination and not give in to undesirable conditions. You must be prepared for some serious discussion.

Once you have successfully entered into a joint venture, you will need to find and build a client list. If your partner is providing clients for you, you must be extra attentive to their needs and make sure you don't lose them for your partner. If you have clients, they might be wary of your new business and fear that your products or services are about to change or become more expensive. It's important to keep in close touch with them and explain the changes in detail.

Joint ventures offer great opportunities for those who enter into them thoughtfully, carefully and properly. If you do your research and make sure to uphold your end of the bargain, it's likely you and your partner will find great success.

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