Set Up Your Business Partnership for Success
Considering a new business partnership or concerned your existing partnership is no longer aligned?
Gain greater clarity around expectations, ownership, roles, decision-making and commercial arrangements.
Book a discovery session with Sacco Advisory to explore whether this workshop is right for you.
Testimonials
I recently attended Mark’s partnership workshop and found it incredibly valuable. Mark provided a clear, systematic way to assess potential partnerships. Not just whether an opportunity sounds good, but whether it genuinely creates value for both parties and makes commercial sense. It gave me a much stronger framework for evaluating opportunities before committing significant time or money. Practical, thought-provoking and well worth the investment.
I found Mark's advice and training to be invaluable and particularly in the areas of business acquisition and partnering. His advice was practical and very tailored to my circumstances and needs.
If I had done this before, I could have had more clarity. It gives me the right structure to go out there and have a strong criteria and expectations about who I am, my values, my business model, and the right people out there to attract to my private equity firm and my expansion. Thank you, Mark. I appreciate it a lot and I’m looking forward to the next stage.
I absolutely loved the workshop, I got so much out of it, in terms of knowing more about partnerships. Mark really did help me understand for my specific businesses, it was customised to what I wanted, and that is something I truly valued. I can now take this and go restructure the partnerships that I’m working on right now, I’m going to go and implement this immediately. It was an amazing workshop, I would 100% recommend this to anyone.
Mark is an experienced executive who brought excellent experience to our financial and operational areas of our business. Mark helped us to be more efficient and structured in our business that is rapidly growing. He is professional, organised, an excellent communicator, he is honest and experienced in all aspects of business. Thank you Mark for all your support.
I cannot recommend Mark highly enough. During a difficult business partnership separation in 2022, Mark brought professionalism, integrity, and genuine care to the process. He helped mediate fairly, reduced significant stress, and protected the business throughout. Since then, his mentorship, strategic advice, and risk management insight have continued to save me time, money, and energy. A trusted advisor with both commercial wisdom and heart.
I’ve been privileged to get Mark Sacco as a business advocate, mentor and coach. I don’t think we can find someone like him very easily. Mark knows what he is talking about and he’s done it with other businesses successfully. I would have to hire 2 or 3 people to replace the value that Mark can bring. This is not something you can get from anyone. That gives me the peace of mind and also the confidence of pursuing more ventures.
I first met Mark at a business partnership structuring workshop he facilitated and his approach immediately stood out. His advice around partner contributions, business operations and commercial structure was thoughtful, well-researched and balanced – particularly important when laying the foundations for an equity partnership. Mark is a trusted referral partner of mine and I would not hesitate to recommend him.
I first met Mark at CES, the world's largest technology conference. We later worked together on a project, where he demonstrated strong commercial judgement, financial acumen and a deep understanding of our client's sector. Mark is professional, collaborative and highly knowledgeable. He was a pleasure to work with, and I look forward to future opportunities to collaborate. I would confidently recommend him to others.
Workshop Overview
A practical, operator-led workshop designed to help participants establish or refine the commercial foundations of a business partnership.
What Participants Will Work Through
Partnership intent, expectations and partner selection
Roles, responsibilities and accountability
Decision-making and governance
Contributions, ownership and equity considerations
Commercial considerations and legal readiness
FAQs
Who should attend?
• Individuals considering a new business partnership and wanting to structure it properly from the outset
• Existing business partners seeking to improve alignment as their business and partnership evolve
Why attend the workshop?
• Improved confidence assessing future partnership opportunities
• More productive discussions with prospective or existing partners
• Earlier identification of potential issues and areas of misalignment
• Potentially lower legal costs through fewer amendments and revisions
• Lower risk of costly mistakes, disputes and future partnership conflict
Does this only apply to equity business partnerships?
No. While equity partnerships are the most common, the principles apply to a range of commercial arrangements.
The workshop is equally valuable for founders exploring joint ventures, revenue or profit-sharing arrangements, strategic partnerships, or bringing someone into an existing business where future ownership may be considered.
The focus is on helping you establish commercial alignment, clarify expectations, define roles and responsibilities, and agree how the relationship should operate—regardless of the legal structure eventually adopted.
What types of partnerships is this suited to?
The workshop is relevant to a range of business partnership and commercial arrangements, including:
• Equity partnerships
• Revenue-sharing partnerships
• Profit-sharing partnerships
• Referral partnerships
• Joint ventures
The workshop is also relevant for founders considering bringing someone into an existing business where future ownership may be contemplated.
The focus is on helping you establish commercial alignment, clarify expectations, define roles and responsibilities, and agree how the relationship should operate—regardless of the legal structure eventually adopted.
What outcomes can participants expect?
• Greater clarity on key partnership considerations and potential areas of misalignment
• A practical framework for identifying suitable partners and assessing partnership opportunities
• Greater confidence in discussing roles, responsibilities, ownership and equity expectations
• Greater clarity on decision-making, governance and commercial considerations
• A stronger foundation for future discussions with partners, advisers and legal representatives
When is the right time to attend this workshop?
Ideally before committing to a business partnership or finalising the key commercial terms.
Many participants attend while they're still exploring potential partners or in the early stages of discussions. Others attend once they've identified a preferred partner but want confidence they've addressed the important commercial considerations before involving lawyers and accountants.
The earlier you establish clarity around expectations, roles, decision-making and commercial structure, the easier it is to avoid costly misunderstandings later.
Should my business partner attend?
While participants can attend individually, business partners and prospective business partners may benefit from attending together.
This can help create greater alignment around expectations, roles and responsibilities, ownership and equity expectations, decision-making and key commercial terms.
Is this workshop suitable for friends or family in business?
Yes. Many business partnerships involve friends, family members or existing professional relationships.
The workshop helps participants create greater clarity around expectations, roles and decision-making regardless of their relationship.
Can the workshop help with existing partnership challenges?
Yes. The workshop is designed to help participants identify areas of misalignment and create greater clarity around roles, expectations and decision-making.
What if we already have a shareholders agreement?
The workshop can still be valuable. Many partnership challenges arise from differing expectations, unclear roles, accountability gaps or ineffective decision-making rather than the legal documentation itself. While a shareholders agreement is important, it does not always reflect the structured commercial discussions required to create long-term alignment between business partners.
Do I still need an accountant or lawyer?
Yes. The workshop is not a substitute for accounting, tax, legal or other professional advice.
Its purpose is to help participants establish greater commercial clarity before engaging professional advisers, allowing accountants and lawyers to focus on specialist advice, structuring and documentation once the key commercial considerations have been worked through.
This can help reduce unnecessary professional costs associated with unresolved commercial issues, amendments and rework.
What happens during the discovery session?
The discovery session is an opportunity to discuss your situation, understand what prompted you to seek advice and determine whether the workshop is the right fit. We'll also explain how the workshop is structured, answer any questions you may have, discuss the investment and help you determine which workshop format is most appropriate for your circumstances.
Where is the workshop held?
The workshop is currently held in Melbourne. Further details will be provided following the discovery session and registration process.
How long is the workshop?
The workshop runs from approximately 10:00am to 4:00pm, including a break for lunch and networking with other participants. This provides sufficient time for facilitated discussion, reflection and practical application.
How much is the investment?
The workshop is $1,500 + GST per participant and includes approximately five hours of facilitated workshop content, practical frameworks, decision-making templates, lunch and refreshments.
A private session format is also available at a higher investment for individuals, business partners or groups seeking a more tailored and confidential experience. We can discuss which option is most appropriate during your discovery session.
Workshop fees are generally non-refundable once your place has been confirmed. In unforeseen or special circumstances, registrations may be transferred to a future workshop or otherwise considered at the discretion of Sacco Advisory.
Who is Sacco Advisory?
Sacco Advisory helps founders and business owners make better commercial decisions through practical, operator-led strategic and commercial insight, bringing structure, clarity and execution discipline to important business partnership decisions.
Every engagement is built around three things: genuine commercial insight drawn from real operating experience, a structured approach to working through the problem, and clarity in the decisions that follow.
Meet Your Facilitator
Mark Sacco is a Strategic & Commercial Advisor with 20+ years' experience working with founders, business owners and leadership teams. He is known for a practical, operator-led approach to helping people navigate complex commercial decisions and create greater clarity and alignment.
Career Highlights
Founder & Principal Advisor — Sacco Advisory
Founder & Former CEO — Clever House
Former Senior Executive — Buddy Technologies & Computershare
Earlier Advisory Experience — KPMG & PPB Advisory
AFR BOSS Young Executive of the Year
Executive MBA — Melbourne Business School
Chartered Accountant (CA)
Ready to Structure Your Partnership Properly?
Identify potential areas of misalignment before they become costly mistakes and avoid future conflict.
Complete the short questionnaire below to take the first step.
