When a “Big Partnership” Isn’t Actually a Step Forward
- Scott Michajluk
- Nov 24
- 2 min read
Last week, a client of mine walked into a meeting expecting to discuss a potential partnership. Specifically becoming the preferred service provider for a large regional organization.
The expectation: more visibility, predictable volume, and a stronger operational foothold.
Halfway through the conversation, the direction shifted.
The organization shared that they wanted an exclusive relationship.
Not preferred.
Exclusive.
And that exclusivity came with a catch:
My client would need to stop serving every other customer in the same industry.
No guaranteed revenue.
No volume commitments.
No integration plan.
No protections.
Just constraints and all the risk pushed to one side.
This is exactly the type of moment where operational clarity matters.
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Exclusivity Sounds Attractive - Until You Model It
At GO Consulting, I talk often about designing an Operational Rhythm that supports growth without chaos. But rhythm isn’t just about meetings and dashboards, it’s about making decisions that keep the business healthy and stable.
Here’s the reality:
1. Concentration Risk Is Real
When one client represents the majority of your revenue, your business becomes extremely fragile.
Leadership changes.
Policy changes.
Budget changes.
One decision on their side can rewrite your entire year.
2. Opportunity Cost Is Invisible Until It Hits You
Saying yes to exclusivity means saying no to an entire market.
If the projected volume never shows up, you can’t simply “pivot.”
You’ve already closed the door.
3. Partnerships Require Shared Risk
True partnership isn’t one party taking all the sacrifice while the other gets all the upside.
Healthy exclusivity requires:
predictable monthly revenue
defined expectations
integration into internal workflows
clear contract terms
Without these elements, the business loses leverage and stability.
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How to Approach Situations Like This
Here is the structure I use inside GO Consulting:
A. Be open-minded, not reactive
Explore the opportunity, ask questions, gather the facts.
B. Evaluate through an operational lens
How will this impact revenue mix, resource allocation, service levels, and long-term stability?
C. Negotiate from shared clarity
If exclusivity is on the table, the other party must share the risk through commitments, integration, and protections.
D. Protect your ability to scale. Don’t surrender it
Growth built on a single dependency is not real growth.
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The Core Lesson
Not every impressive opportunity is a strategic one. Sometimes the most important leadership decision is recognizing when a door opened… but in the wrong direction.
Founders - especially those running early-stage businesses - often feel pressure to say yes to anything with scale or brand recognition attached. But sustainable growth requires discipline:
Clarity before excitement.
Structure before commitment.
Stability before exclusivity.
When you evaluate opportunities through that lens, you protect your momentum instead of compromising it.
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If you're an SMB under $1M in revenue and you want this type of clarity every week… that’s exactly why we built the Operations Advisory Package.
It gives founders:
weekly accountability
strategic check-ins
foundational systems
early-stage KPIs
prioritization support
on-demand guidance when decisions show up fast
It’s designed for businesses that are growing but don’t yet need a full fractional COO just a steady operational partner who brings structure, focus, and consistency.
If this resonates with where you’re at, I’d be glad to walk through what the Advisory package could look like for your business.