The Partnership Charter: How To Start Out Right With Your New Business Partnership (or Fix The One You're In)

Earlier this year, I asked our COO to become a co-owner in the business. I had done quite a bit of research on my own, even turned to ChatGPT to help generate key questions we should consider before moving forward, things like legal structure, equity, and whether we were aligned long-term. But even with all that effort, I still felt like there were blind spots. That’s when I discovered The Partnership Charter, and it turned out to be exactly what I was looking for. I got the Kindle version. This book is incredibly thoughtful and comprehensive. It walks you through the conversations and considerations that truly matter before entering into a partnership (or if you are already in a partnership and need to make it better). The depth of insight, real-world examples, and the structure it offers far exceeded my expectations. On top of that, the accompanying software they have that goes along with The Partnership Charter helps you and your potential partner navigate critical questions together with clarity and intention. The book surfaced many issues I hadn’t even considered. If you're even thinking about entering into a business partnership, do yourself a favor and read this first. It’s not just helpful, it’s essential.

If you are about to start a business with other people - READ this book! It helps prevent conflicts from starting and it helps to resolve conflicts that have started. It clearly identifies the major issues that you encounter over a lifetime of business ownership and it helps you examine how to address differences in values - both personal, financial, and practical. We created a partnership/business agreement (shareholder agreement) about 20 years ago and we addressed about 80% of what this book recommends. The 20% that we forgot to address or that we were not courageous enough to admit might happen, turns out to be critical 20 years later. There are so many unintended consequences that come from our human nature to avoid conflict and to avoid addressing problems head on. Do you and your business colleagues sweep things under the rug or kick the can down the road and say, "we will look at this later"? Have you gotten into a jam because you avoided dealing with a problem in a timely manner? This book is a terrific tool that will help you understand and appreciate why you need to address key concerns BEFORE they morph into problems that threaten the well being of your company or business. This is so well written and enjoyable to read. The author, David Gage, gives great insights and shares quick, real life anecdotes from businesses that experienced real stresses and failures due to business relationship misunderstandings. This books gives lots of examples for how some businesses REPAIRED relationships and moved on to future success and how some DISSOLVED relationships and parted ways amicably BEFORE litigation. This is a powerful tool and resource that every business owner should read and every future business should read before starting out. Steve Covey said "begin with the end in mind" and this book helps you set meaningful goals that will work for you and your business partners and stakeholders.

There is a lot of good info in the book but the author goes overboard with examples and stories. I got it. You're a published author. The fact that I paid for the book means I designate you an authority in the subject matter. Quit trying to win me over with the stories. Everything else was really cool. Good outline. Good brief examples from time to time, in between the long forms. If you get into it, its about a 6-hour read and you'll feel compelled to make a move in your current partnership or think heavily on the correct steps to take before you enter one. I wouldn't say this is a must read, but its close for anyone starting a business and thinking about taking on a partner.

The Partnership Charter was recommended to me by a business consultant and I must say that it's the smartest $20 I've spent preparing for my project. The author uses multiple real life examples of both successful and problematic partnerships, shedding light on common pitfalls that can be minimized if not avoided, when discussed in advance. As you read along, it is easy to see how that lack of proper planning of so many expectations can quickly cause tension in the partnership. Through these examples the book does a beautiful job of demonstrating the stark contrast between the romantic vision of a successful business vs the possible reality of a strained relationship. The chapters and story lines are easy to follow and very engaging, maintaining your interest from start to finish. Researching the company further, I found that Dr. David Gage wrote a supplemental workbook to assist in the process of developing your charter. I contacted BMC and they were very generous with their time and counsel. I highly recommend the book to anyone seeking more knowledge and/or preparedness prior to entering into a partnership and to not hesitate in contacting the BMC Team for additional assistance. Overall, the book is well written, insightful and very informative! What else can you ask of a book?

Anyone who is looking to solve disputes or start from scratch in a partnership, this is a must have book and totally worth the read.

Good to know the basics about a proper partnership in business. The written style is good and to the point.

This book is good and well-worth reading, but it needs an accompanying workbook or more precise guidance. I like his approach and he brings up many good points, but he doesn't provide enough help on how to take concrete steps to work out all the issues.

Book arrived very quickly and was as described

I've been involved with a few partnerships and this book presents many excellent ideas on how to think before entering into one. I reference it often with my work consulting to business owners.