Business advisors can now offer their clients the advantages of BMC’s Partnership Charter (PC) process. BMC developed the PC to optimize people’s success in launching new, and enhancing existing, business partner relationships. BMC has used the charter process for over a decade with enthusiastic response from partners in all types and sizes of organizations. BMC is now offering other professionals the training, coaching, and license that will allow them to extend their professional practices with this valuable tool.
The Partnership Charter License
The Partnership Charter is both a structured process and a product (document) that captures the intentions and agreements among the partners. David Gage described the concepts underlying the PC process in his highly acclaimed book, The Partnership Charter: How to Start Out Right With Your New Business Partnership (or Fix the One You’re In). Dr. Gage subsequently developed The Partnership Charter Workbook to provide people with structured exercises that guide them through thirteen critical discussions and negotiations to reach agreements that memorialize their understandings, serve as the basis for any needed legal documents, and guide them in their day-to-day working relationship for years to come. A Charter goes well beyond traditional partnership agreements to include the full range of business and interpersonal issues that are key to the success of business partners, including expectations, personalities, money, ownership, governance, conflict management, fairness, and five other topics.
Business advisors can use the book and the workbook to skillfully guide clients who are in existing partnerships or planning co-owner relationships to build greater trust in one another and build confidence in their “deal” with one another. The license includes ten hours of training during the first use of the Workbook with clients, on-going coaching from BMC during the second and third uses of the Workbook, and a per-use fee for each client engagement.
Professional Benefits
Business advisors can offer a new and extremely helpful tool to their existing clients who are in co-owner relationships or considering having partners. With the PC, they also have the opportunity to market themselves to a new and expanding population of people starting businesses each year. Most people starting companies do so with partners and the vast majority of fast-growing companies are founded by co-owners, not solo entrepreneurs. An advisor’s revenue from a PC engagement can vary depending on the level of professional assistance. Typical fees range from five to ten thousand dollars.
The PC work with new clients often provides an additional advantage to advisors. PC clients often become long-term clients of the advisor. This happens in two ways. First, co-partners who have been through the process ask for periodic check-ins and PC reviews. Second, co-owners often ask the advisor to work with key employees within their organizations.
Next Steps
If you would like to learn more about licensing the Partnership Charter, please contact Stewart Christ at dgage@bmcassociates.com.
