It’s rather a bummer when you realize you really don’t have collaborators or ‘partners’ as much as you thought you did for your business. You realize this when it becomes clear that they are almost never there for you and you really don’t have any support – even when you are trying to support them. You begin to feel like an old shoe.
The thing is that you still have to take care of your business whether or not there is support. That is if you care about it. I can imagine that realizing nobody is there for you really takes some of the joy out of having a business where you thought you had a partner. So really don’t let it stop you from your progress when this person fails you repeatedly.
You do have to wonder – if this person is spoiled, entitled, or just plain selfish? Maybe he is telling you he is not interested in the business anymore. If he doesn’t have the decency to discuss this with you and just leaves you hanging, then you should definitely bring it up. Get it all out on the carpet. Maybe it is just his ego where he can only act on his own demands.
Somehow he feels intimidated when you make a suggestion and his ego won’t allow him to lower himself even to help you when all you are doing is trying to help him. It’s a pretty sickly premise for having a “partnership” If you can’t even discuss some basics that will improve the business.
While you may not be in a position to just walk away and forget about him – shouldn’t be hard since he is never really there anyway. However as they say if you can’t change something all you can do is change the way you deal with it. So decide which way you want to take the situation. Stay and try to make the best of it. Accept that he will probably not change.
Or not – just let it go. Pick up your marbles and go home. Find another partner or even a new business. Of course do make an effort to resolve your issues on your way out the door. Make it clear why you feel you need to do something different.
