However, having a partner also means two minds that may want different things in the future, and unless there are strict boundaries and agreement in place, things may get ugly.
A partnership agreement might sound formal, but setting clear rules of what jobs each of you will do and how much you get paid for it will save you from falling out with your partners and having no say in your business. You want to protect yourself against all eventualities, and a well-written partnership or shareholders agreement will protect you against it.
Three things to consider when choosing your partners:
Do you trust your partner, and how will they benefit your business?
Being able to trust your partner is incredibly important. It would be best if you felt that you could depend on them in every situation. You need to know that when your business partner says she will do something, she will do it, and it will be ready for when she thinks it will. Without trust, there is no business.
Do your share the same vision for your business with your partners. You should share the same vision for how it will run and work now and in the future.
For example, if one of you wants to grow the business, and the other wants a flexible job to run around their family, it may be an idea to draw an agreement where one of you has a higher percentage of profit, or the other is just an employee. Either way, if your vision doesn't align with each other, it would not be easy to have a successful partnership without any agreement.
Do you share the same values? If you don't have the same values, you might each lead the business in a different direction in the future.
Imagine you are going into a beauty business with one of your friends. You both love beauty products and are equally good at it. It might look like a match made in heaven, but what if you believe in using natural products and she doesn't? You couldn't run a company together; it wouldn't work. Your business wouldn't work because you would be pulling it in different directions.
Choosing the wrong partner could cost you losing a friend and potentially your business.
Always have a well-drafted agreement in place if you are going into business with somebody else because it happens.