Although many entrepreneurs rely on partners to help manage their company, a partnership is the most challenging form of business structure, experts say.

People will interview receptionists more carefully than they will a potential partner," said David Gage, founder and direefor of BMC Associates, a Washington, D.C. based company that helps partners resolve conflicts. "It's much easier for partners to work on a business plan or a marketing plan, rather than sort out how they're going to treat each other."

Gage, who works with many entrepreneurs, recalled an engineering consulting firm that hired him to sort out the problems created when the co-founder decided to retire.

"When a co-founder has been there for so long, there are certain things and unspoken understandings that people just got used to," said the president of the firm, who asked not to be identified. "When he left, we knew there was going to be a change in the business culture. We needed to address how we were going to transition from one set of rules to the next."

Discussing the company's future ownership and how the stock would be divided between the remaining partners was a delicate matter. He said it would have been very tough to resolve without outside help.

Although clear agreements between partners can establish basic ground rules, Gaig'e said'"documents won't fix a troubled relationship."

He deals often with issues of fairness and expectation. Usually, one partner feels that he or she is putting in more effort or more hours than the other partner, or they feel one partner is just in it for the money, said Gage.

Gage and his associates came up with an idea for a "Partnership Charter," a sort of prenuptial agreement that clearly spells out the roles and the expectations for each partner. It details many aspects of the initial relationship to put things on the right track.

Gage recommends that small-business owners ask themselves these questions before taking on a partner:

• Why am I taking on a partner? Have I considered all the alternatives?
• If I'm looking for money, would applying for a loan make more sense?
• If I'm looking for expertise, should I hire a consultant?
• Am I afraid to operate the business alone? Why?
• If I have a candidate in mind, is this the beat possible partner for me?

Gage reminds business owners that when the business becomes successful, they may not want a partner to be involved. "It's much easier to get rid of a loan than a partner," said Gage.

Reporting by Julie Neal. Jane Applegate can be reached at PO Box 768, Pelham, N.Y., 10803, or jane@janeapplegate.com