I don’t know about, but I was always skeptical when it came to forming joint ventures with other affiliates. There were just too many unknown factors for me to try it out. And to be honest, I underestimated the power of forming JVs with other affiliates. Now if you listen to guys like Frank Kern or John Reese, they do talk about these stuff all the time. But who wouldn’t want to be a JV partner with these guys. But that’s not what you get when you get started in the affiliate marketing.

For me, it was really the matter of trusting the other side. I was always cynical about joining forces with other affiliates as I thought they may steal my idea. I also thought that I may somehow end up getting the bad end of the bargain. The trust issue was a big factor for me, but I was probably too proud for my own good. I always wanted to be the guy to do everything, and I thought I could do as well without JV partners as with them.

The truth is, a lot of folks think of list swapping or affiliate promotions as joint ventures. You may be able to call them that, but the real joint venture is more binding, and you are going to have to collaborate with the other side to get a product out. Real JVs can really open other doors. Once you do one successful joint venture, you are going to find other opportunities fast. The challenge is getting the first JV done, and that requires doing the proper due diligence to find the right partner.

In order to be successful in a joint venture, you need to be able to play as a team. You also need to delegate tasks. In other words, you shouldn’t lock horns over tasks after the project has started. Everybody should know what they bring to the table and what their responsibilities are. Now, you can have a flexible plan, but at the end of the day, you want to get things done fast, and you don’t want to stepping on others toes. These issues are real, and that is why some teams succeed, and some don’t. If you can’t build trust within the team and avoid stepping on others’ toes, you are not going to be successful. You also want to act in a way that will not come back to haunt you if your JV is not as successful as you expected it to be.

In the end, proper planning can solve most issues with JVs. You just need to avoid cutting any corners in finding the right partner, and you are going to have to play a team game. Once you do that, you are half way there. And once you have had your first successful JV, you’d be amazed how many doors will open for you.