Are two heads really better then one?

[FablesStudios]

I have been told "two heads are better then one" I don’t know how many times?...? Do you think having a partner owner/operator is better then going at it alone? I have been going at it alone for 3 years now. Am I missing out Or am I dodging headaches? Any thoughts...

Peter
Fables Studios
www.FablesStudios.com
www.myspace.com/fablesstudiosllc

[Allen H]

Your missing out and Dodging headaches. Both approaches have merit. I have done both, in my eyes having a partner only becomes an issue when your show does well, success is a bigger strain than when you are not doing well.
the big question is do you need a partner? what will they contribute to the show, where are you weak, do you need an artist? do you need a business savvy partner? do you need a work horse to help share the load?
I think those questions are the ones you should ask yourself.
Good luck,
Allen H

[FablesStudios]

I always figured I would not need a partner, but I would need to build a strong "Team or Family" to back the company and to have people in their special areas where my weaknesses are. I have heard nothing but bad things about partnerships... so I think I will keep going the way I have been. Thanks again!
Peter T
Fables Studios
www.FablesStudios.com
www.myspace.com/fablesstudiosllc

[Jim Warfield]

I was told I needed a partner 21 years ago. I made the offer to a man who was about to retire from the building trades. I think he retired because he was "tired".
He approached his wife with the offer and she declined...Thank God!
I probably would have acquired some other of his family memebers along with "Dad" and looking back it all would have been a severely limiting situation.
How much unique, different and crazy creations have ever arrived via "Committee?"
Dam few as far as I have ever heard.
I think of the whole house-thing here as "Art", my art.
I also feel that many of my customers are actually "patrons" and return because this is a different sort of show, "Viva La Difference!"
There will be no laundry lists of identicle props found here that were manufactured somewhere else by someone else, sorry to make rateing my place so difficult, but then people come back for various reasons.

[FablesStudios]

I need to see your haunt some time! I am also trying something different... I am unsure if it will work but I will keep my fingers X and hope for the best. I figure since I am a new haunt I will not have mobs of people, so I will be able to have a slower thru put. Thanks again and talk with you soon!

Peter
Fables Studios
www.myspace.com/fablesstudiosllc

[HalloweenDenver]

The two haunts I work for are both owned by partners and they've been doing it for the past 20 years and have had great success. I'm sure it depends on the people but like Allen said, it can be both good and bad. You can split responsibilities, develop more creative juices but also have conflicting ideas...

Find the right "head" and you'll love it

[FablesStudios]

Hello all,

So far everything has been going well on my own. I guess one crazy mind leading the pack works out. I can see benefits to having a partner but as they say “Why try to fix something that is not broken?”. Sometimes too many Minds spoil the Haunt. Some times………

Peter T
FS

[Jim Warfield]

Happened for me many years ago when I was a JC building a haunt.
I had my idea .
"That will never work."
"Well, then you stay away he and I will make it happen." And we did.
The "He" just mentioned ripped out something I had spent a ton of time and effort trying to make work a certain way (this didn't please me)
A randomly flashimg blinker replaced a customer-activated attempt of mine..but at least "something" was in that doorway versus something that wasn't working......

Take inventory of what each partner brings to the partnership as far as reliability and work ethic.
Communicate alot, eliminate surprises, know who is going to do what before starting anything.

One time a friend approached me trying to get us to become partners in home construction (not "Haunted") He was a friend, we had many laughs together... but he had some glaring personal faults for someone to be holding up their half of a partnership in that business.
His weaknesses: He oversold himself and what needed to be done in a job. He had almost no tools, money.
I had the tools, some equiptment.
I like to work, physically and accomplish noticable results every hour.
He is a "talker".
My biggest shortcoming , I was already 52 years old, he was a few years older...who is going to be doing all that climbing and day-long heavy lifting?
He was upset when I refused his offer. He got over it.
He had already been doing a terrible job just working alone. As his friend I repaired one bad job of his when he was hospitalised (for no charge, of course)
All the job needed were another handfull of screws to keep it from falling apart. (a fence and gate)
"HHHMMMM?"

[newhorror2010]

I know there are pros & cons to both, personally I believe it's better with two people. As long as for the most part they're like minded with the majority of things, the load the first persons carries should be much lighter. I've been in this industry 10 years this coming season (2010), I don't own the haunt, but I do in a sense help manage & maintain. The guy I work for doesn't really believe in partnerships, but seeing as he gives me a lot of responsibility already & recently I've requested more to do.......doesn't that make me more or less a partner?

I help do everything from plan scenes, demolition/construction, paint, maintenance, general housekeeping both outside & in, makeup, issue costumes, you name it I've had my hands in it.

[SlightlySick Illusions]

I have had good partners and bad partners over the years! Just make sure you check the person out very good before bringing them into your company, hire a PI to check them out first. I had one partner that I thought was going to be great right up until we did our first convention, then to my surprise all week people kept coming up to the booth looking for money the guy owed them from previous years. To say the least the whole situation went down hill from there, and it finally came to the point that the best thing was to walk away. It cost me and my other partner right around $200,000 so far. Be cautious there are a lot of schemers and crooks in our industry!