Working with those much bigger than you.
WHY IT APPEALS
Access to substantial customers, credibility and volume.
WHAT IT RISKS
Dependence Terms weighted heavily to them Slow processes consuming your capacity Being dropped without warning
WHAT TO ESTABLISH BEFORE COMMITTING
What proportion of your capacity this would consume What happens if it ends Whether you could survive that
WHY
Smaller businesses are frequently destroyed by the loss of a large partner.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Long qualification and onboarding processes Extensive documentation requirements Payment terms weighted to them Decisions taking months
WHAT TO ESTABLISH
Whether you can fund the delay before revenue.
WHAT TO PREPARE
Documentation: registration, insurance, compliance, financial statements, policies.
WHY
Larger organisations require them and cannot proceed without them.
WHAT TO ESTABLISH ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP
Who your sponsor is internally.
WHY
Arrangements depend on individuals, and they move.
WHAT TO DO
Build relationships beyond one person.
WHAT TO BE CAUTIOUS OF
Terms requiring exclusivity without volume commitment Intellectual property provisions that take your work Liability provisions disproportionate to the value Termination at will with no notice
WHAT TO NEGOTIATE
Whatever you can, particularly liability and termination notice.
WHY
Some terms are genuinely fixed and others are assumed to be.
WHAT TO ESTABLISH
Your own limits before negotiating.
WHAT TO MAINTAIN
Other customers and revenue.
WHY
Dependence removes any negotiating position.
