How to find a partner for an online store and not fail your business: 5 real examples

How to find the one who will help you conquer the heights of online sales? Each of the stories described in this article is not only a path to success, but also valuable lessons that can help you find your ideal online store partner.

Glossary

• 🚀 Online store - a virtual trading platform on which goods are sold or services via the Internet.
• 💼 Affiliate is a person or organization that partners with you to achieve common business goals.
• 🎯 Key skills - abilities and competencies necessary for successful business.
• 🌟 Ambition is a person’s desire to achieve high goals and success.
• 👥 Team is a group of people working together to achieve a common goal.
• 🔍 Market research - collection and analysis of information about the market, competitors and consumers.
• 📈 Business growth is the process of increasing the scale and efficiency of a company.
• 🎨 Creativity - the ability to generate original and non-standard ideas.
• 📊 Analytical skills - the ability to systematically analyze information and draw conclusions.
• 🎤 “Star” is an invited expert or consultant with a high level of knowledge and authority in his field.
• 💔 Unsuccessful partner is a person or company whose cooperation leads to negative consequences for the business.
• 🛠 Diligence - the ability to perform assigned tasks efficiently and within the appropriate time frame.
• 💡 Innovation - introducing new ideas, approaches or technologies into business.
• 🌐 Network marketing - promotion of goods and services using network channels and resources.
• 💬 Feedback - opinions and comments of clients or partners about the company's work.
• 🏅 Reputation is a general idea of the reliability and quality of a company or person in the eyes of society.
• 💻 The platform is the technical basis on which the online store operates.
• 🔑 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) - metrics used to evaluate the achievement of business goals.
• 📘 Business plan - a document describing the company's goals, strategies for achieving them and projected results.
• ⚖ Legal aspects - legal issues related to doing business, drawing up contracts and complying with the law.

Wrong choice of a partner for an online store: 5 real stories

Story 1. Bad experience with a relative

Choosing a partner among relatives sometimes seems like a logical and convenient option for many entrepreneurs, but, unfortunately, this does not always turn out to be successful. I came across a story about a businessman who hired his nephew from Zhitomir. It seemed that such a partner would be ideal: trust, loyalty and a desire to help. However, the results were far from so rosy.

When my nephew took over the marketing management of the online store, problems began. The main mistake was the lack of knowledge of the target audience and ineffective implementation of advertising campaigns. Advertising budgets were spent on irrelevant platforms such as Facebook and blogs popular among older generations, although the store specialized in youth clothing.

Tip:

📝 Try to separate personal relationships from business.

🔍 Check the qualifications of potential partners and their knowledge in a specific area, even if they are close people.

📚 Train employees or hire professionals for key roles.

For two years, the store not only did not grow, but also lost its position in the market. As a result, the nephew had to return back to Zhitomir, and the store owner found a new marketer - a professional in his field.

Restrictions :

• ❌ Advertising budgets are wasted ,
• ❌ Lack of knowledge about the market and target audience.

Best practices:

• ✅ Carefully check the competencies of potential partners ,
• ✅ Give preference to professionals rather than close people.

Story 2. The ambitions of a young man

On one of the forums I met Alexander, who shared his story about how the ambitions of his partner Oleg almost destroyed the business. The young entrepreneur became a close friend of Alexander and soon offered to join forces.

However, over time, Oleg began to seize more and more powers, and soon took full control to myself. Alexander found himself almost without participation in the life of his own business, which led to serious conflicts.

Tip:

💼 Assess the ambitions of a potential partner and his willingness to work in a team.

🔍 Trust, but verify - especially when it comes to strategic decisions.

🔔 Discuss plans and roles in advance, fix them in the contract.

Today, former partners are sorting things out in court, which once again confirms how important it is to carefully choose partners and always have a clear distribution of roles.

Limits:

• ❌ Ambitions and desire to dominate the business of one of the partners ,
• ❌ Lack of clear agreements at the starting stage.

Best practices:

• ✅ Assess your partner's personal qualities ,
• ✅ Develop detailed agreements and roles.

Story 3. The Executive and Leadership

I remembered another story from my practice. Vladimir P. hired a girl as a manager, who later became an outstanding performer and colleague. It would seem, who could become the best partner?

However, once in a leadership position, the shortcomings of her leadership qualities were revealed. Olga carried out instructions perfectly, but was not ready to make her own decisions, which became a drag on the business.

Tip:

⚙️ Assess the leadership qualities of future partners, their ability to make decisions and act in conditions of uncertainty.

🗣 Talk with potential partners about strategies and vision for the company's development.

Vladimir realized that not every cute girl is suitable for running a business, and stopped relying on her in strategic matters. Their work together continued, but in the role of a performer, not a partner.

Limits:

• ❌ Inability to make independent decisions ,
• ❌ Lack of strategic thinking.

Best practices:

• ✅ Assessment of partner's leadership qualities ,
• ✅ Testing the ability to work under conditions of uncertainty.

Story 4: Speculator Partner

In my career, I often come across stories of entrepreneurs who entrust their projects to the wrong people. Sergey K., for example, followed the idea of outsourcing marketing for his online furniture store. He found a partner who seemed ideal for the role of content manager.

However, after a month it became obvious that instead of working with qualified specialists, the content manager hired newbie freelancers for pennies, whose results left much to be desired. For Sergei this became a precious lesson.

Tip:

📊 Be sure to evaluate the portfolio and recommendations of the new partner.

🔍 Follow the process and results of the work.

🛠 Use the services of proven professionals or do some of the work yourself.

It is important to immediately establish control and check the quality of your partners’ work. You should not trust completely and blindly rely on the successes presented.

Limits:

• ❌ Low quality of work due to hiring unqualified specialists ,
• ❌ Lack of control over results.

Best practices:

• ✅ Checking the partner's real portfolio ,
• ✅ Establishing a system for monitoring the quality of work performed.

Story 5. Professional "star"

The story of Dmitry V. came immediately from Kyiv on my mind. This entrepreneur was blinded by the promises of a young guru who was guaranteed to take the brand to the next level. However, instead of real work, Dmitry saw only a beautiful picture.

Guru actively took on media projects, held meetings and interviews, but the results were empty. There was discord in the team, and it became obvious that the young man was simply promoting his person, not his business.

Tip:

💡 Always check reviews and proof of actual success before collaborating.

🛡 Study the partner’s reputation and professional achievements.

Reputation and image are important factors, but too often they are not backed up by real experience. Be careful in such conditions.

Limits:

• ❌ False promises and loud statements ,
• ❌ Lack of real evidence of success.

Best practices:

• ✅ Conduct a thorough check of the partner's reputation ,
• ✅ Require confirmation of successful cases and achievements.

What qualities will help you choose a partner and not make a mistake?

In my practice, I have often faced the issue of choosing a reliable partner for an online store. I have come to certain conclusions that I want to share with you, based on real examples of successful entrepreneurs.

Competence is the basis for a successful business

When I made the decision to choose a partner for an online store, the first thing I paid special attention, there was competence. One of my partners, Anna, had extensive experience in e-commerce. Her knowledge and skills allowed us to quickly launch the store and create efficient processes.

If the conditional Vasya worked at a factory all his life , it will be difficult for him to immediately learn all the intricacies of running an online store. Choose partners from a professional environment, or, as a last resort, provide training if you want to take on a relative or friend.

Communication is the key to harmonious team work

Another important aspect that I always I take into account that this is communication skills. It is important for my partner to join the team, accept the corporate culture, mission and values of the company. I recommend choosing people who are able to integrate harmoniously into the team. My second partner was Ivan, who, thanks to his high level of communication skills, quickly found a common language with the team, which significantly reduced the adaptation time and increased productivity.

Creativity is a source of new ideas and solutions

Equally important for me was the creativity of my partner. It was thanks to creative ideas that my friend and partner Elena helped create unique offers for our customers, which took our store to a new level. She knew how to complement my ideas with her suggestions, so we always found new directions for business development.

It would seem how it is possible to provide for all cases ? The team must be as flexible as possible and be able to adapt to new conditions, generating new ideas and updating the business strategy.

Responsibility and reliability are your insurance against unforeseen situations

I can confidently say that responsibility and reliability are some of the key qualities that your partner should have. My partner Sergei turned out to be just such a person. He always took responsibility for important decisions and stuck to agreements. Thanks to this, we were able to overcome many difficulties and achieve success.

Professional growth and training are the key to long-term success

I have always sought to pass on my experience to my partners. She provided training and helped them develop in new areas. Natalya, my last partner, completed several courses and training programs, which significantly increased her efficiency and allowed us to expand our product range.

I am convinced that the right partner will help you achieve success. Based on my experience, here is a table of characteristics that will help you make the right choice:

Using the example of my partners, I was convinced of the importance of each of these aspects. I hope that my recommendations will help you find the perfect partner for your online store, as they helped me.

If you are interested in how to determine your target audience, I recommend reading this article: target audience.

I truly believe that my advice will help you on your path to a successful partnership and a thriving business.

Thinking through solutions together with a partner

From personal experience I can say that before concluding an agreement with a partner, we discussed in detail all the conditions of our joint work. This saved us from many possible misunderstandings. I believe that clear division of roles and responsibilities is the basis of a successful partnership. In our case, I was responsible for strategic decisions, and my partner was involved in attracting investments and promoting the business.

Example: Delegation of Responsibilities

My partner and I immediately divided up the responsibilities. I was involved in developing strategy and making key decisions, while my partner focused on finding investors and interacting with large clients. This allowed us to avoid confusion and responsibility for each other. It is invaluable that everyone knows their area of responsibility and does not shift responsibilities to others.

Discussing the terms at the start of the partnership helped us avoid misunderstandings and conflicts in the future.

When we started our cooperation, I proposed my own ideas and solutions, and we always discussed the mechanisms for their adoption. I am confident that the tactics of a clear plan for exiting conflict situations and developed strategies for making important decisions helped us remain in a strong position in difficult cases. We avoided controversial situations due to the fact that each of us strictly followed the rules and regulations that were prepared and accepted in advance.

Time Test: Working Together

Equally important, as I realized, was to work together for at least a year before , how to delegate more power to your partner. During this period, we overcame stress and solved current business problems. It is in such tests that trust grows and it becomes clear whether you can completely rely on a person.

Release Plans

I also made sure to discuss plans to exit the partnership. After all, life circumstances may change, and a partner may lose interest in business or get carried away in another direction. We discussed all sorts of scenarios and strategies in case it was necessary to leave the business or change the format of collaboration.

Summary and tips:

• 🐥 Clarity and clarity : Discuss all the conditions in advance, do not rush into concluding an agreement.
• 🌟 Distribution of responsibilities: Separate functions clearly to avoid shifting responsibility.
• 📊 Test of time: Work together for at least a year before making big decisions.
• 🌧 Exit Plans: Discuss all possible exit scenarios from the partnership.

Overview table: Best practices and mistakes

These tips will help you choose a reliable partner and avoid most problems in the process of working together. I am sure that by following these recommendations, you will be able to achieve success in your online store.

Don't forget that finding a salaried employee can also be a good alternative for some online store work tasks.

Experience IKEA company

Client description
IKEA company is a world famous retailer of furniture and goods for home. Since its founding in 1943, IKEA has grown into one of the largest players in the global market with a turnover of more than 40 billion euros per year. Today the company employs more than 200 thousand employees, and IKEA has representative offices in more than 50 countries.

Goals and objectives
The main goals that IKEA pursues are to provide customers with high-quality furniture at affordable prices, as well as to strengthen its position as a leader in the production of environmentally friendly solutions for the home. The success of the company directly depends on reliable partners and high standards of work, which allows us to achieve our goals.

Formulation of the main problem
IKEA faced the question: how to choose ideal partner who meets their high standards and can effectively contribute to business expansion. During the search for partners, it became obvious that not all candidates could withstand the heavy demands of the company, which led to some negative situations.

Characteristics and interests of the target audience
IKEA clients are divided into several key groups:
🛋️ young families who strive to create coziness and comfort in their new home,
🏢 corporate clients needing bulk purchases of office furniture, as well as
🌱 environmentally conscious buyers choosing "green" products.



Each of these groups values affordability , 💎 product quality and 🎋 environmental friendliness of materials used in the production of goods.

Key points that may be of interest to potential clients:

• 🎯 High quality and durability of products
• 🌍 Environmentally friendly materials and production technologies
• 💡 Innovative solutions and design
• 🧩 Wide range of products
• 🚀 Developed logistics and delivery network

Facts and results of the project

• IKEA has reduced delivery time by 20% after introducing new logistics partners.
• Total sales increased by 15% in the first quarter after changing the partnership structure.
• Long-term contracts have been concluded with more than 80% of new partners.
• 90% of customers noted an improvement in the quality of service and speed of delivery.

Quote:

"Choosing the right partners is the key to success. Cooperation with reliable and proven companies has allowed us to improve the quality of service and speed up the delivery of our products to customers around the world." — Ingrid Jörasson, Business Development Manager at IKEA.

Overview table:

Conclusion

Success IKEA in the selection of partners became possible thanks to a careful approach to selection, a high level of requirements, as well as constant monitoring and evaluation of the performance of each partner. Effective partnership allowed IKEA not only to maintain its position in the market, but also to significantly strengthen it.

Often frequently asked questions on the topic: How to find a partner for an online store and not fail your business: 5 real examples

Thank you for reading and for becoming more advanced! 🎉

Now that you are armed with the knowledge of how to choose the perfect online store partner, you are already halfway to success. The partnerships I've shared are living examples of how the right ally can transform a business. I hope these stories have inspired you and shown you that with the right qualities and skills, anything is possible. Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments. Always yours, Yulia Portnova.

Author: Yulia Portnova, independent expert at "Elbuz". “Words are my instrument in creating a symphony of online store automation. Welcome to my literary cosmos, where every idea is a star on the path to a successful online business!”