While we may be completely confident about entering into some business ventures alone, others may require partners and other business relationships for a variety of reasons. Startup capital is a common requirement for new business owners. You may have been working with a partner to start a new business and add to the expenses fifty-fifty, or perhaps you had a major investor who has a share in the business. You may have come up with the business idea or model with a friend or family member, and creating a partnership seemed like the natural thing to do. Family businesses are also common, often with parents and older children working together for years.
Many partnerships get off to a great start, but with a solid contract you may be able to fend off any disputes in the future—preserving important, long-term relationships and the health of your business. In consulting with a skilled business attorney, consider the following as you create a solid agreement with your partner:
- While it may not seem necessary to delegate duties in the beginning, as time goes on, resentments can build if one partner feels like they are carrying an unfair load. Create an agreement that outlines what each of you are expected to do—along with the understanding that this part of the contract may need to be amended periodically as job duties and responsibilities expand, change, or diminish.
- Because finances can be a major cause of disputes in any business, and especially between partners, this subject should be thoroughly discussed and stated in the contract. Establish salaries, profit distributions, and any other types of monetary issues.
- How are decisions to be made within the company? You may want to outline a hierarchy or establish that important decisions for the company should be made unanimously.
- Discuss how any future dissolutions would be handled in terms of buyouts, settling debts, final profit distributions, and more.
- Include a dispute resolution clause. This is always much easier to discuss when times are good! State whether litigation, arbitration, or mediation would be preferred. You can include where such resolution would take place and even how attorney’s fees would be paid.
Do you have questions about drawing up or signing a partnership or other business contract? Are you in the middle of a business dispute and require experienced representation? Call Shane Coons now at 949-333-0900 or email us at Shane.Coons@seclawoffices.com. We will be glad to review your case, answer your questions, and help you move forward with success.