JOINT VENTURE: Divide talents, capital and time between yourself and others and define a way to achieve your goals.  You may put up the needed capital for someone better equipped to run a business.  You might receive an investment return similar to leaving the money in a bank and participate in the profits of the business.  If it's your business now, you might seek to create a joint venture with someone with capital instead of selling.  If capital is the only problem, you have a good chance of finding someone to discuss this with.  Be sure to be honest in sharing your expectations and formulate the same kind of "rules" you would if you were operating the business with you in control.  The key to a successful joint venture is value; each party to the venture must offer a unique value.  Because of the value of each partner, the others will want him/her to remain as part of the venture.  Remember that value is a perception and each party's perception is bound to be different.

I call it the "Platform Concept" and it's one of the main reasons that franchising is so sought after.  The number of real "entrepreneurs" among America's businesses is really quite small.  If individuals each had to start up their own business, even more would fail!  As you read the following paragraphs, ask yourself if you have the ability (or desire) to generate each of the steps from "zero".  Many of these areas are in place when you buy a business, even if they are not running properly.  And you probably have no idea how long it would take to learn zoning laws, licensing, permits, utilities, floor layouts, inventory establishment and controls, etc..  When you buy someone else's business you are really buying a "platform" and building your own business from that foundation up.