4 keys to joint venture success (2024)

Businesses looking to take their product or brand to a new audience could reap dividends from entering into a joint venture with a partner that offers complementary strengths in a target market. The right partner can bring essential knowledge of local market conditions, culture, and regulation, as well as providing instant access to personnel, infrastructure, and an established customer base.

This speed of gaining access to a new market and its cost effectiveness are the primary reasons a business might opt for a joint venture over alternatives such as organic growth, acquisition, or trading through local distributors.

Thanks to a combination of technological development and increasing globalisation and company agility, this option is now a realistic prospect for medium-size businesses as well as the larger players. The approach can give smaller businesses the opportunity to explore a market without the risk and scale of investment involved in an acquisition, while allowing them to retain greater control over their market strategy and more intellectual property protection than they would if selling through local distributors.

For business owners considering putting their company on the market in the near future, expanding the company’s international footprint can also boost the business’s overall value.

Finally, partnering with a local company can offer a simpler way to access high-growth markets where foreign direct investment is often restricted.

Success factors in a strategic JV

Grant Thornton has set out the following guidelines for companies considering embarking on a joint venture.

  • Agreement. Among the terms that should be clearly defined from the outset are the timespan of the venture, performance norms, and governance processes. A joint venture board should be established and agreement reached as to the scale of investment required from each party. Whether the parties will extract surplus cash or reinvest it into the business, along with a potential exit strategy, are other significant considerations.
  • Alignment. Successful JVs are founded on shared objectives. The partners’ risk/reward strategies must be aligned to ensure both derive value from the arrangement.
  • Development. The strategic partnership, as well as the relationships between parties, are ongoing, rather than static, and need to be developed. Frequent communication is required to foster a feeling of belonging amongst employees on both sides.
  • Flexibility. Parties should be aware of potential differences in business culture and decision-making processes and deal with any issues that arise in a flexible manner.

Samantha White (swhite@aicpa.org) is a CGMA Magazine senior editor.

4 keys to joint venture success (2024)

FAQs

4 keys to joint venture success? ›

What are the four elements of a joint venture? (1) an intent to associate as joint ventures; (2) both parties mutually contributed to the business; (3) each had some control over the enterprise; and (4) they had a mechanism for sharing profits and losses.

What are the four elements of a joint venture? ›

What are the four elements of a joint venture? (1) an intent to associate as joint ventures; (2) both parties mutually contributed to the business; (3) each had some control over the enterprise; and (4) they had a mechanism for sharing profits and losses.

What are the key considerations in joint venture? ›

The Partner's Financial Position and Cash-Flow Profile

This includes their current cash flow, debt, and any other financial obligations. If they are in a shaky financial position, it could affect the success of the joint venture, and you could lose money and possibly even your reputation.

How can a joint venture be successful? ›

Be flexible

With two companies making decisions, things can get complex even with simple projects. You should aim for a flexible relationship. Regularly review how you could improve the way things work and whether you should change your objectives.

What are the principles of joint venture? ›

JV parties retain ownership of their own assets. JV party is not normally liable for the debts of the other JV party but they may share liability on specific contracts with third parties. Each JV party will be taxed directly on its share of the profits and losses of the venture.

What are the four major factors in joint venture success? ›

Here are four key elements to consider:
  • Set clear goals and define the strategy. ...
  • Identify the right partner. ...
  • Plan the JV and commit sufficient resources. ...
  • Manage the relationship.
Jan 10, 2014

How to structure a JV deal? ›

Structuring A Joint Venture Agreement: 8 Important Elements
  1. 8 Key Elements in a Joint Venture Agreement. ...
  2. The identity of the businesses involved. ...
  3. The purpose of the joint venture. ...
  4. Resources to be shared. ...
  5. Sharing of profits and losses. ...
  6. Rights and duties. ...
  7. Dispute resolution. ...
  8. Governance.

What is the most important ingredient for a successful joint venture? ›

Having the right partners is a critical component of effective team building. They must be dependable and possess a high degree of integrity. Joint ventures require significant team building effort because they are a relationship between two parties that must be nurtured and maintained.

What are joint venture strategies? ›

Key Takeaways

A strategic joint venture is a business agreement that is actively engaged by two companies that make a concerted decision to work together to achieve a specific set of goals.

What makes a joint venture to fail? ›

These are: compatibility issues, funding, problems with the Joint Venture Agreement, and differing profit/outcome expectations.

What is the 3 in 2 rule for joint ventures? ›

SBA's current regulations provide that a joint venture can be awarded no more than three contracts over a two-year period.

What makes a good joint venture partner? ›

The ideal business partner in a joint venture is one that has resources, skills and assets that complement your own. The joint venture has to work contractually, but there should also be a good fit between the cultures of the two organisations.

What are 3 pros dealing with joint venture? ›

Advantages of joint venture

increased capacity. sharing of risks and costs (ie liability) with a partner. access to new knowledge and expertise, including specialised staff. access to greater resources, for example, technology and finance.

What are the main objectives of joint venture? ›

These parties are coming together and pooling their resources to complete a specific task. The parties have joint ownership and therefore share costs, losses, and profits. The purpose of a joint venture is to attain a competitive edge while minimizing risk. This is achieved by combining strengths and pooling resources.

What is the rule for joint venture? ›

The parties to the joint venture must be at least a combination of two natural persons or entities. The parties may contribute capital, labor, assets, skill, experience, knowledge, or other resources useful for the single enterprise or project.

What are the considerations of a joint venture? ›

What you need to consider before forming a joint venture. In a very broad sense, joint venture formation should consider legal, tax, business and cultural issues. Joint ventures may take the form of different legal structures.

What are the components of a joint venture? ›

“simply stated, a joint venture depends upon three elements: joint ownership, joint operation, and an express or implied agreement”[v]. Moreover, the elements required to establish a joint venture are essentially the same as that for a partnership[vi].

What does a joint venture include? ›

Joint ventures allow existing businesses to combine resources to meet a particular goal. A company may bring capital, assets, skills, labor, or expertise. In a joint venture agreement, you must indicate what resources each company is to contribute.

What are the features of joint venture? ›

Features of Joint Venture

Two or more persons are required. It is an agreement to execute a particular project or a venture. The joint venture business many not have a specific name. It is temporary in nature, hence, the venture agreement automatically terminates as soon as the venture is complete.

What are the requirements for a joint venture? ›

Establishing a Joint Venture

Joint ventures are not required to file formal paperwork or documentation of status with state or federal governments. Instead, development of a joint venture is contractual and involves one business entity entering into a contract with another entity.

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