If you decide that you prefer to work with others rather than solo and are willing to brave the issues that can arise in doing, consider associating with a group of like-minded coaches.
It may be that you seek partners or associates actively, or you may simply meet like-minded individuals with whom you feel it would be good to work. Before you embark on working with others, it is essential to decide on what basis you wish to work together (associate or partnership) and what factors will influence your selection of colleagues.
The selection of people with whom to work is not trivial. In corporate life we do not usually have the opportunity to select our colleagues. In your own business, it is a valuable blessing.
There are groups of coaches and a few full-blown 'corporate' entities and franchises. Many more that work in loose groups of 'associates.'
It may be tempting to view a group of associates as akin to a partnership. It is not. You can choose to work with an associate or not. With a partner, you are accepting liability for actions taken by your partner. Even if you do not have a formal partnership arrangement, but allow yourself to be spoken of as a partner, it sets perceptions in the minds of others and in particular of potential clients. If a client likes and trusts you but has a visceral dislike of someone who talks of you as a business partner, that dislike will rub off on you.
If you decide to go down the route of partnership, the basis of your partnership agreement must be written down and signed by each partner. Among other things that agreement must cover:
* ownership of any existing client relationships;
* the basis of fee splits and/or income division;
* contributions by individuals to the business and the basis of repayment, and
* a mechanism to dissolve the partnership and events that will trigger dissolution automatically.
Whether as a partnership or as a group of associates, the key skill is not usually coaching but client acquisition. Coaching is in fact, more often not, the pleasurable outcome of the hard work of marketing and selling.
Source: Stephen Newton: Success as a Coach: Start and Build a Successful Coaching Practice
Frank Bresser: The global business guide for the successful use of coaching in organizations