5 Ways How NOT to Pick a Business Partner!

Help! – somebody, anybody bail me out! If you are a small business owner then it is a safe bet that at least once, you’ve said "Help, can't someone bail me out of this mess?" And so it begins, you start entertaining the idea of a partner in your business, or adding another one. Surely you can find that white horse to come to your rescue. You’re smart, you have a great business, it’s just not doing so well right now and with just a little help – well, you know the thoughts. And you just might find someone, but chances are you won't. Here is the reason why - you are in trouble. Think of it like dumping blood in a pool of sharks................and you happen to be in the water!

Here are 5 ways NOT to pick a partner.

1. Going to your Family & Friends – Certainly there isn’t a person alive who has not heard that you should not go into business with family and friends. There is actually a reason for this…you shouldn’t. Who wants to see their family or friends fail? No one that truly cares so they are going to jump in to help you at all cost….but you will probably over look the fact that they can’t swim. After all, they are there to help you so you can worry about the details later…..maybe! Sure there are times when it works wonderfully but that does not usually happen when you are in trouble.

2. Using Blinders – or in other words, believing everything your new prospective partner tells you. This one is actually the hardest, because it is the easiest. Your friends or business associates tell you they have a great person you should consider as a new partner. They sure seem to know what they are doing and are looking for an “opportunity”. If you are swimming in a pool of blood with sharks on the way do you REALLY care what they tell you? Nope, you just want to be taken out of there by anyone who will rescue you and by gosh you are praying they make it very quick. But - before your hand gets bitten off by your proposed savior, you better take that extra time and figure out who they really are. This is where a background check is critical and a good Private Investigator could save your life! Literaly!

3. Not Trusting your “Gut” – There is not a business owner out there that does not have the proverbial “gut instinct”. If they didn’t, no one would have a business to begin with. All business ideas start in the “gut”. This instinct develops over time and it will cause you the most problem when you don’t listen to it. There are way too many business owners who said “you know, I knew from the beginning but we really needed the help”. Where are those business owners now? Out of business, or in court.

4. Being Desperate – This one is the worst ways to pick a partner and there is a really easy way to avoid it – don’t wait until you are desperate. Easier said then done. Business owners have this thing called “pride” that oh so often gets in the way. Once you realize you need help or want to include a partner start looking! Don’t wait and “hope” you won’t need to. With desperation comes bad decision making. Here is an example: “I would love to be your partner and pull you out of that pool of sharks BUT I must have control or I just can’t”. Then your fear takes over, the sharks are getting closer and you think you may never find another person to help you…and guess what? Your new “partner” may very well know that and be feeding on it. You will do nearly anything to get out of that water.

5. You Don’t Actually Like Them – You would be amazed at the number of people who take on a partner that they don’t actually like! When they have come to rescue you and everything else seems in check (because you have checked them out after all….see #2) you can certainly over look the fact that you might not consider them your best friend. This is always a mistake. While you are not looking for another best friend, you are already in trouble, maybe not sleeping so well at night and might even be desperate. Do you really want to compound it with some one you don’t like? Run from this person right away. If you don’t like them from jump you really won’t like them when you hit the ground!

Adding a partner can, of course, make or break your business for so many reasons. We have only listed a few above. But a good, trusted partner can be the most valuable asset you have. With over 40 years of investigative experience, you can be assured that Papago Investigations specializes in Background Checks and Investigations and they are a critical component of the services we offer our valued clients.....You!

Background Investigations can provide the information you need in order to make a decision as critical as a new partner. Records available to Private Investigators are not the same as those used by law enforcement agencies and Private Investigators are not limited like law enforcement is when conducting background checks and investigations. Background investigations can provide an in-depth history or insight into a subject’s known or unknown histories. Criminal background investigations, hidden or past assets, financial data, workers' compensation, employment background investigation, police records, civil history, and other public records are just the beginning of a background investigation. Here are some of the differences and what you can expect from Background Checks and Background Investigations.

Background Check

More Condensed than Background Investigations
Usually Cursory and not In-depth
Limited or Specialized for Specifics Purposes
Mostly Centered On Public Records
Constrained to a Range of Years Past

Background Investigation

In-Depth and more Thorough
No Time Limit of Range
No Limits to Access of Records
Character Investigations and Profiling
Style of living and other Pertinent Information
Can be used for Juror Vetting and High Profile Due Diligence
Clients Types for Background Investigation and Background Check:
Pre-Marital and Pre-Nuptial
Business-Related such as New Partners
Personal Issues such as Dating
Incident Driven
Litigation and Legal Support
Insurance Industry

Examples of information types that can be researched include, but are not limited to - past histories with family, neighbors, employers, friends, education, co-workers, professions, credentials and residences. With background investigations provided by Papago Investigations you can start recognizing a character and profile of the person you are investigating. These are some of the areas that are reviewed in a Background Investigation matter:

Criminal Records
Wants and Warrants
Felony Checks
Inmate Records
Sexual Predators
Civil Records
Litigations
Professional Complaints
Local
State
Federal
AKA's
Identity Verifications
Social Security Number Traces
Property Ownership
Marriage Licenses Records
Divorces Records
Drivers Records
Death Records
Tax Liens
Judgments
FAA Checks
Doing Business As
Character and Profiles
Mode of Living
Surveillance (if required)
Photos of Subjects
Identity Verification
Public Records
USA Patriot Act

And most important of all “YOUR confidentiality will NEVER be compromised”. We promise!!!

Questions you should ask and facts you should know "before" you retain a private investigator.

Like anyone you hire for any job, be it a private investigator or a company to clean your house ( in essence - they both see your dirty laundry!) you should know what to expect from the outcome of the work. Since private investigations in not quite as common as house cleaning, here we are providing you with the basic information and questions, you need to know and ask, in order to hire a qualified private investigator.

* Ask if the initial consultation is without charge (it should be) and how long to expect. 1 hour, 30 minutes, etc.

* Ask for length of experience in the field and the background of the principles in the firm. You want to make certain that the firm you retain has experience in the area of your case. This will cut down on the hours billed and the results may be more favorable and comprehensive if the firm is experienced.

* Ask to see the retainer agreement and be sure to read it thoroughly. Like any contract, you need to read it and be certain of what you are signing. It will become a legal and binding agreement between you and the firm.

* Ask the hourly rate per agent and what other fees to expect. Fees from firms can vary significantly. Normally the more experienced a firm, the higher the fees.

* Ask for a reasonable estimate of the total cost. "Estimate" being the key here. In many cases it is difficult to determine the total fees before the case is concluded, but an experienced investigator will be able to provide a reasonable estimate. They should also consult you and ask for approval to continue if fees exceed any amount contracted.

* Ask for if the firm has related experience in the case you need investigated. Now is not the time to pay for training an inexperienced firm.

*Ask for experience and background using photography, video and audio equipment if it relates to your case. This equipment can be very technical in nature and may make or break a conclusive investigation. If can also be very costly to the investigation so it is important to know if the firm is experienced in using such equipment.

* Ask what, if any, other resources might be available by the firm. For example, are there attorneys or counselors available if needed or referrals to other sources. You will also want to know what outside experts are available should they be needed for your case.

* Ask about court appearance time. You need to know how court appearances will be billed and conducted for your case. Also ask about previous court testimony. If court testimony is going to be required you want to make sure you have a competent investigator on the stand.

* Ask to see the firms license and the license of the individual investigator assigned to your case. You can also check (and should) with Arizona Department of Public Safety online to make sure that the firm and investigators have licenses in good standing. Arizona and California require licensing for private investigators.

These are the basics. More questions may come up in your particular case so be sure to ask them all and be confident and comfortable with the answers you receive. If you are not, then find a new firm. Hiring a private investigator is a very personal experience and you need to feel confident and secure in your decision.

Security Guards v. Law Enforcement Services Deployment

Implications:

1) *Government expenditures for police services are on the rise *Makes Sense..more time for law enforcement to handle serious issues.

2) *Private Sector has expertise and willingness to accommodate the needs
My position now and has been for several years is that the private security and investigations firms are ready, willing and able to transition some of the lower level tasks away from law enforcement. These tasks may be non-injury accident investigation, handling follow-up of witness statements regarding lesser offenses, interviewing witnesses at low risk crime scenes (i.e. burglaries), perimeter crime scene security, interviewing/investigation of reported fraudulent, non-violent activity, gathering information related to current investigations as directed by the Agency employing the firms. This, I believe, will free up already stressed budget issues within most if not all communities. By using available private resources while limiting law enforcement expenditures makes good sense.

Analysis:

D. W. Tschudy is the principal of Papago Investigations & Consultants of Arizona, a firm providing experts in areas of investigative services for civil and criminal investigations for the legal, corporate, industrial, medical and insurance industries as well as the private individual. Mr. Tschudy has investigative experience including evidence development, witness locates, asset research, interviews and interrogation, u/cover operatives, surveillance and other criteria necessary for the culmination of a successful case file investigation for the client. Tschudy is a State of Arizona licensed private investigator for the past twenty-two years and State of California approved licensing certification with the receipt of credentials forthcoming. Mr. Tschudy believes that the private industry is open to providing services that are now offered by law enforcement. An example of this is accident investigations that are non-injury types. The licensed investigator and/or security professional can focus their services on support services that the law enforcement agency now has responsibility for.Issues related to training, expertise, availability to State licensing files, data banks, etc. can be authorized through State legislative changes, similar to off-site driver's license, registration, title kiosks that are in some states. The availability for the trained law enforcement officer to respond to more serious offenses are then realized thus allowing them to focus on the issues that are public safety related. Issues that would need to be focused on would be insurance coverage, State statutes regulating who has access to restricted information, payment and by who, oversight, training, in-service to maintain a high performance of services and many others too numerous to mention.It is the writer's thought that the overload experienced by the law enforcement community can be reduced through the use of the private sector firms that have expertise to handle these issues; similar to private prisons that until recently were unheard of. The contributor believes that there has to be continual realignment of services and evaluation by all involved in the law enforcement community, private security and private investigations service industries that will aid in allowing a relief valve to be implemented that reduces the ever increasing pressure of overwhelming public safety needs and expenditures. The private sector makes sense!
© June 2009 D. W. Tschudy