When launching a company, having a business partner by your side is highly advantageous. The challenges become simpler to tackle and toasting the achievements remains that much sweeter. Unfortunately, every relationship has the potential to sour, especially ones involving money and work. Here are some suggestions regarding how your company’s interpersonal foundation can be strengthened.

Establish Your Mission

Companies require a concrete basis from which to begin. Without this, they run the risk of losing focus and dissolving. Discuss with your colleague exactly what you hope to achieve and how you expect to accomplish it. Mission statements do not need to be complex, but having one reassures that both of you are focused and invested in the same intention. It’s also great for clarifying your ethical perspective.

Make Goals

In order to fulfill your overall ambition, benchmarks big and small must be set. Outline a schedule that details lesser aims along with the greater ones. Be specific, think realistically and budget enough time so that your timetable is reasonable. Break aspirations into separate chunks to prevent fixation upon objectives that have yet to be realized and to help discourage frustration. Remember that some destinations are easier to reach than others and celebrate the smaller achievements as well as those that are bigger.

Define Responsibilities

Separate duties and individual obligations. Begin by discussing each other’s relative strengths and weaknesses. Next, make a list of everything required to run your enterprise. One way to decide who does what is by flipping a coin. The winner earns the right to claim the first job. Alternate until every responsibility is claimed. Once complete, you should have a decent picture of how your day-to-day operations will run. Such clarity is excellent for increasing efficiency and saving money. Additionally, sharing the less desirable tasks diminishes the chance of disagreements erupting.

Work Friendly

Neglecting your partnership can result in a relationship breakdown. Once your venture is running full steam ahead, make an effort to treat one another right. Offer compliments and lend a hand when it’s obvious that additional aid would be useful. Buy your associate the occasional lunch or surprise coffee. The goodwill generated from such gestures goes a long way toward minimizing conflict.

A solid rapport with one’s business partner is critical to keeping any company afloat. Set yourself up for success by opening lines of communication, joining forces to solidify your action plan and remembering that kindness counts.