Growing Your Partnership

As your community group or business grows - or experiences success in the community business partnership in which it is involved - there may be opportunities for growth in your partnership arrangements.

Be it a small amount of growth or something more ambitious, there are a number of reasons why you should seriously consider expanding your partnership arrangements.

Expanding Your Partnership Could:

  • Multiply the benefits you are already receiving.
  • Increase your partner's benefits.
  • Add to benefits your partnership is offering the community.
  • Broaden its scope to tackle other related issues or projects in the community.
  • Inspire more groups or businesses in the community to pursue their own community business partnership.
  • Result in a higher profile and more publicity for your group or business.
  • Involve more groups and businesses in your partnership projects.

You Can Expand Your Partnership By:

  • Expanding existing projects or initiatives.
  • Starting new projects or initiatives (a good option if you have identified possible projects or ideas that fall just outside the scope of your present partnership arrangements).
  • Involving more groups (bringing greater outcomes, new perspectives and fresh attitudes).
  • Creating new avenues for public involvement (increasing the amount of good work being done, but also increasing the number of people aware of your partnership).
  • Holding more partnership events (if doing so would increase community benefit).

Remember to Talk to Your Partner

If you are thinking about growing your partnership, the first thing you should do is to talk about your intentions with your community partner.

Depending on the amount of change that is likely to occur, or if your partner is unable or unwilling to commit to a new arrangement, there may be a need to formally end your existing partnership before you start a new arrangement. This may be a major decision and is not one that should be taken lightly. It could also mean that the best outcome is to stick with the existing partnership - the best way to decide is to investigate your options.

For more information on ending a partnership, refer to the Help Sheets Why and When to End a Partnership and End or Change? available at the Community Business Partnerships Brokerage Service section of the Our Community website.