What are warning signs in a business relationship?

Business partnerships almost always start off on a good foot. They seem mutually beneficial, both parties come into the partnership excited and ready to do good, and everyone brings unique skills and other factors to the table.

However, as a business partnership ages, it is possible for problematic aspects to begin surfacing. In these cases, it is prudent to keep an eye out for potential red flags.

Differences in levels of care

All Business discusses some signs that may point to an unhealthy business relationship. The first signs usually point to a difference in priority.

In many cases, one partner may stop seeing the business as worthy of their full attention. It might slip in their list of priorities, or they may see it as a side venture when the other partner views it as a full-time gig.

In other cases, one partner could start to either shirk their duties entirely or begin handing them off to an unqualified party to finish. This reflects their lack of interest in the business and their refusal to put in the same amount of effort, meaning partners will likely not mesh in the future. On top of that, this behavior often negatively impacts the health and longevity of the company, too.

Differences in goals

Another big reason for the disintegration of partnership includes partners no longer seeing eye to eye. They may have an equal amount of investment but disagree on where they want the company to go and the primary objectives and tenets they want the company to uphold.

Dishonesty and a refusal to compromise can make or break – and usually break – even once-strong business partnerships, so it is important to keep an eye out for these signs.