Partnerships in business can be the best thing that ever happened to a company, but without knowing how to deal with each other the partnership can fail. That’s why we thought of sharing the 5 steps we recommend in order to start a business with your partner.

From day one, we’ve started Twentynine together as a true partnership, built on our mutual desire to do work we are passionate about while living a life we love. But when we tell people we started a business together, we get a lot of different responses. A surprisingly high number of people tell us that they couldn’t imagine working with their partner day in and day out. So first step we took:

1. Be honest with each other.

For your partnership to work, both of you must feel comfortable openly sharing your opinions or thoughts. Don’t hide your emotions, don’t play any guessing games about how you feel. Talk about things and move on as being mad all day it’s just a time waste.

2.  Clearly define each partner’s role and responsibilities.

Write job descriptions for yourselves and set clear expectations about who will take on which tasks for the business. This helps eliminate disagreements by giving each partner control of his or her things.

3. Brainstorm Together- two heads are better than one.

Well, you probably have heard that… two heads are better than one. Don’t get stuck, take time to brainstorm ideas and offer suggestions to help each other to complete their tasks. For example, when we do Brand Strategy or Product Video we always sit together and brainstorm all the things related to given words. We think about what it is associated with, what it symbolises, how it can be presented.

4. Spend time outside the office.

Well, we understand that it is impossible to “leave it at the office” when your home is your office. But you still need to spend time enjoying being together like going out for a walk, to a gym or a restaurant.

5. Celebrate your wins.

It is important to take a step back and enjoy the work you’ve done. It’s beneficial to find time to think about what you’ve achieved as part of your goal. It can also increase your visibility or inspire others, particularly if you share your stories online!

To sum up:

• Be honest with each other.
• Clearly define each partner’s role and responsibilities.
• Brainstorm together.
• Spend time outside the office.
• Celebrate your wins.

What would be your tips for people starting a business with their partner?