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I run a business by myself as an HTML/CSS designer. I also do the graphics, the back-end, and customize scripts to fit my clients needs. I also have to draft contracts, keep track of accounts payable/receivable, etc.

Where can I find other people who are trying to pull the entire cart all by themselves for partnership?

If I could find someone else with my skills sets, or close to them, doing business would be much easier. In other words, I'm quite capable, but also realize I'm reinventing the wheel by doing this all by myself.

Thanks in advance. PS: In Ontario (person could be anywhere in NA, but Canada would be better.)

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2 Answers

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Check Craigslist for your area, or other local job boards where you / someone like you might source work from. Post that you're looking for a web designer to partner with.

Also check local web design / freelancer meetups in your area. Freelance Switch has a 'find a freelancer' directory with a bunch of listings for web design in Canada.

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Thanks so much! – Marc Jan 28 '12 at 22:19
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Personally I would only do freelanceswitch. This is because it has quality freelancers. Craigslist is where unemployed designers hang out. – BhargavPatel Feb 28 '12 at 13:55
Agree with Bhargav. I have never searched for biz partners on Craigslist, but judging by the vast numbers of sketchy people on it I wouldn't try. – B Seven Feb 29 '12 at 17:45
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There are many sites set up expressly for this purpose. Here's a few that I recommend:

Don't expect to find someone wonderful overnight. It takes time and effort to find the right people. Don't worry about where they are located geographically.

I find it very useful to get them on the phone (Skype voice) as soon as possible. You never really know what a person is like unless you talk to them (voice), and if possible, meet them in person.

Also, I think you really need to find more people. It's too hard to try to do everything yourself, and you probably don't have all the skills (like programming, marketing, etc.). Find people with complementary and different skills. You don't need 2 designers, programmers or marketers. Figure out which skills are necessary to achieve the business goals and find people with those skills.

Figure out what skills you need a human partner for and which ones you can outsource to a service. For example, I have used a billing service that sends invoices and only charges a few dollars per month.

Hope that helps...

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