business consolidation

[bob swanson]

:D I have a photography studio partner and since we're in somewhat of a recession we thought about consolidating our businesses (since we already share a studio). I have a meeting with Yellow Book next week and have advertised with them since the started in business in our area. Our thoughts are to come up with a new umbrella name and still list our own business names underneath. Any thoughts here? We've both been sucessful in the wedding/portrait business for about 10 years.
bsvirginian:dunno

[FedererPhoto]

:D I have a photography studio partner and since we're in somewhat of a recession we thought about consolidating our businesses (since we already share a studio). I have a meeting with Yellow Book next week and have advertised with them since the started in business in our area. Our thoughts are to come up with a new umbrella name and still list our own business names underneath. Any thoughts here? We've both been sucessful in the wedding/portrait business for about 10 years.
bsvirginian:dunno

Have you thought about working together but keeping two separate identities (of which you both participate equally)? This would allow you to focus on two different target markets.

[bob swanson]

:scratch That is our original plan. As a matter of fact we decided to drop the consolidation company name and just take my existing ad, make it larger and just list both of our businesses together (one on top of the other) we are both in our sixties and don't have much of an ego as far as who's name is on top. We know that we each have our own followings and our businesses are extremely similar, he prefers the bigger weddings and I prefer the "wam, bam, thankyou mam" quickies. He prefers studio work and I prefer location work.:clap Have you thought about working together but keeping two separate identities (of which you both participate equally)? This would allow you to focus on two different target markets.