Massage & Bodywork

JULY | AUGUST 2021

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20 m a s s a g e & b o d y wo r k j u l y/a u g u s t 2 0 2 1 best practices | BLUEPRINT FOR SUCCESS Keys to a Successful Business Partnership By Allissa Haines and Michael Reynolds While most massage practices operate as a solo business, some have found success as a partnership consisting of two or more people. Having a partner to share both the successes and challenges of running a business with can make the journey easier, more fulfilling, and less lonely. And there are many things to love about going into business with a partner. Having a trusted partner to discuss ideas with can be a great way to get outside perspective and run the business with the best of both minds working together. Also, sharing and splitting responsibilities can be a positive benefit. If one of you loves working with accounting and finances while the other loves marketing and client communication, then a partnership allows you to align your strengths more productively. Like many arrangements, there can also be downsides to partnerships. If partners don't agree on major decisions or philosophies, the conflict can have a negative impact on the business or even lead to failure. In extreme cases, an unethical partner can end up causing severe damage through negligent or criminal actions, leaving the remaining owner with a mess to clean up. So how do you navigate partnerships in a way that improves your chances of running a successful business together? BEFORE FINDING THE RIGHT PARTNER, LEARN TO BE THE RIGHT PARTNER Some people think partnerships are always a bad idea, citing all the drawbacks and the failure rates of partnerships (which is between 50 and 80 percent, depending on the source). However, there are some steps you can take to create an environment of success in a business partnership. People often talk about how you have to find the right partners and make sure you evaluate the other person etc., but we contend it's more important to be the right person. Your goal as a partner should be to bring the very best in yourself to the partnership—to be someone who decides to commit to having extreme respect for your partner and

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