What Does It Mean For All Parties In A Public-Private Partnership To Do Their Homework?

Posted by Retail Attractions Blog on April 25, 2018 in Blog | No Comments

If you want to create a successful public/private partnership in a retail deal, it’s important that both sides do their homework. Whether you’re the public partner or the private partner, you’ll need to make sure that you’re preparing for the deal and that your partner is also doing their part to make sure that this deal goes smoothly.

Preparation before you sign a deal can make a world of difference in whether or not both parties consider the partnership successful. Both partners must be ready to invest in the project long-term and make a commitment to staying informed about their project for as long as the partnership continues.

It’s Not All About The Prep-Work

You’re not going to go into a deal without due-diligence to make sure that it’s a good idea. But do you know it’s also important to keep “doing your homework” as the project progresses?

Both partners need to go into the project with a good understanding of what is involved. And they also need to stay informed throughout their partnership. Whether you’re the public or private partner, you have to commit to staying informed about all the financial, social, and technical aspects of the project.

Sharing Your Information

As you’re gathering information about the project, you don’t want to keep it all to yourself. Both sides of the partnership should be doing their homework and sharing that information with each other. Retail development is a complicated process and good communication is essential to keep things moving forward.

Clarity and transparency should mark every stage of the partnership. And if you bring in a consultant like Retail Attractions, you should also share the work that they do. Your consultant can also help you come up with an information-sharing strategy that works for your partnership.

Communicate About Finances

Before you enter a partnership, you’ll need to do your homework regarding a joint financing plan. You’ll also want to find out about any limitations on your partner. For example, if you’re the private partner and you’re depending on public funding you might need to have a backup plan in case of budget cuts, administration changes, or emergencies that are outside your partner’s control.

Public/private partnerships allow for quite a bit of creativity in funding retail development. Both parties should be researching funding solutions and sharing their ideas with their partner. Once again, this is an area where a retail consultant can be a big help. They have experience working out development deals like yours and can offer suggestions for funding.

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If you’re ready to get some help doing your homework when preparing for or while in a public/private partnership, get in touch with us. Retail Attractions has extensive experience working with both public and private partners. And we’re ready to help you develop a retail deal partnership that will benefit both parties.