Finding the key partners to work with can make or break your venture. After thousands of conversations with aspiring entrepreneurs, it’s one of the most common obstacles and risks holding folks back from pursuing their idea. So – we asked some of the smartest, most resourceful entrepreneurs in the community to share their lessons and insights to help inspire and educate the next great set of entrepreneurs.

Justin Hughes

I do most of the custom motorcycle work in house but i do outsource things like paint, powder coat, and exhaust fabrication. I want my business and name to be associated with quality, Therefore i am super particular with who i do business with. Finding the right team “team” hasn’t necessarily been easy for me. It’s been a process of trial and error in finding people that do great work, stay punctual, and have the artistic eye that matches my style. I have definitely learned the hard way that trying to find a deal will always end up sacrificing one (if not all) of those three things. Read more>>

Viktoriya Martynova

How do we choose the brand to work with? It is not an easy process and requires a lot of thinking, analyzing, and research. Before introducing the product to our customers, we make sure that the new perfume satisfies all our requirements! There are several aspects that we pay attention to: Read more>>

Tyler Leli

As I transitioned ‘The Forum’ from a print website to a more dynamic entity centered around a podcast, literature and music reviews, and publishing creative writing and photography, it was imperative that I had supportive partners. Lucas Scott was one of the first people I recognized could be a dependable friend and partner. We began our interview series early in 2022 and I quickly saw that we had a similar manner of thinking (about the process of creation. The why’s that impact the writing of songs, the perspective of a photographer, or the production of a beat–to name but a few examples) and he shared my vision of prioritizing genuine conversations around artistic experiences. Read more>>

$hadow

My line of work is different but I can relate. Being a rapper there must be key personnel in the camp. I never inked any major deals but I do have some key people on my side. Knowing what I know I would never allow myself to do music at mediocre studios. It’s best to find an audio engineer or studio by finding the studio/audio engineer that all the major local artists go to. Read more>>

Carlye Morgan

I initially wanted to manufacture our luxury Apple Watch bands in either the U.S. or Europe, however, finding the right partner proved to be challenging. Since I was creating a luxury brand, I had very high standards and the materials and craftsmanship needed to be the absolute best possible quality. I had a few starts and stops with some craftsmen in the U.S., but I found the perfect partner in Manufacture Jean Rousseau which is based on Pelousey, France. Jean Rousseau lends Chalonne over 65 years of expertise and its artisanal heritage working with some of the world’s most prestigious luxury brands like Vacheron Constantin and Omega, among many others. Read more>>

Willie Franks

First I would like to start off by saying Thank you for allowing me to share my story with your readers. This is a very good question and to accurately answer it, I think it’s critical that to start with the most important part and that is the back story. Prior to me finding my vendor/team, I spent several years working with and selling products from Italian and European shoemakers. This choice served a dual purpose and that was to learn the craft and understand how to build brand identity. I always knew that I wanted to be in the high-end space. Read more>>

Jessica Rutti

We are lucky enough to be in a big Ag state, so a lot of our local farm partnerships have been in place for multiple generations. However, as the Food Scene in the our delivery area continues to become more elevated, we had to start seeking out new vendors with a more diverse range of products. We came across Baldor Foods in our search and are now their sole area partner in the Triangle. They boast a huge huge product line which allows us access to items we were never able to source in the past, and in turn helps us offer these items to our local chefs to help them continue to innovate on the same level as restaurants all across the U.S. and beyond, which is why we chose to go with them. Read more>>

Tiffany Dillard

Every step that I have taken in this building process has been ordered by God. So I needed a website for my author’s page but I didn’t know where to start looking. I was a part of some business groups online but what I saw as services offered wasn’t what I wanted. So one day while I was watching a Facebook live in a wives group I’m connected to the host started talking about business and how Halo Creative Services has assisted her with website and marketing tools. So I did my research to find that Halo Creative Services was exactly what I was looking for and is a one-stop shop for all my business needs. Read more>>