You have a great idea for a farm business venture. To help turn that idea into reality, you’d like someone to share the work and share the investment risk. You’d like, in short, a business partner.

According to Grant Robinson, an entrepreneur’s choice of partner needs to work on several levels.

“When people are thinking of starting a business, there’s an initial excitement that goes with that,” says Robinson, a Guelph, Ont.–based chartered accountant and business advisor with Robinson & Company. “Very often, not as much time or thought goes into how you actually make it work. There can be many positives to bringing in a partner, but a lot of potential negatives as well.”

In order to capture the positives and minimize the negatives, Robinson urges partner-seeking entrepreneurs to ask and answer these questions:

• Do you really need a partner?
• Who’s the best fit?
• What’s the life span?
• Family, yes or no?
• Who does what?

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