How would handle this?

Sorry for the long post. I run an MX track mostly on weekends and am partnering with another guy to build a flat track oval. On Sunday him and his wife came out to help out which was good. However at about 4:35pm a guy and his girlfriend showed up and just wanted to check the track out so I said fine. They went out and walked part of the track and I said I'd be here for while if they wanted to ride. I confirmed it was $20 but they didn't have any cash so they asked if I'd be open tomorrow (holiday Monday). Yes, then he asked if I do debit or e-transfers and I said I never have so don't know what's involved. Everybody just paid cash. This guys wife was right there and starts yapping away it's easy to do and you don't have to set anything up, you can send it your -e-mail. I said I'll have to look into it. Then she starts basically arguing with me in front of first time customers that I'm going to lose so much business and she does it all the time at their shop in the city (I don't even have power). It's 2018 get with the program, you're going to lose so much money, blah, blah, blah. She kept going on IN FRONT OF THE CUSTOMERS. WTF! I certainly don't like being made to look like an azz in front of customers and I can guarantee she wouldn't like me doing it in front of her customers. I think it would have much more appropriate for her to say she can help set it up for the future and/or talk to me after the customers left. I was so pizzed with her. The riders didn't come back on Monday.

Later that night the guy called me but I didn't mention anything to him about it but then he says one of his customers is wondering why a specific dealer is listed on my website. I explained that dealer was the only one in the area that gave me sponsorship money when I first opened the track and that's why they're listed on my web page. I said the flat track isn't even finished and is separate from the MX track. Then he starts saying they should have to pay yearly to be on the web page, etc., etc. I wonder if it was a customer, another dealer or his wife making the complaint??? At least this wasn't in front of customers. He came out on Monday and never mentioned anything about the dealer on my website which makes me think it might have been his wife that put him up to it. My GF says I should talk to her and not him. I was tempted to tell her that if she ever made me look bad in front of customers again, I will put the kibosh on the flat track! I don't care how many thousands he put into it or how busy they claim it will be. I put in a lot more money than I wanted and I've also done a lot more work on building the flat track than he has. (he always has something else come up) He approached me because I have the land and the zoning for a flat track. What's the best way to handle this and make sure I never get made to look bad in front of customers especially by partners in the flat track? I'm still in disbelief!

Hi, as long as you're honest with yourself and customers then you don't have to worry about anything. You know, there are different types and we can't expect that we can have a smooth sailing relationship with all. Just stick to having good services with your clients and don't be affected by just one.

Partnership are tough no matter how you look at it since your the one with the land you could kinda throw your weight around a little and dictate how it will be run but once you cross that line you can't go back

The best thing is to sit down with both them and make some ground rules you sound like your open to new ideas so your not asking a lot

If your partner and his wife are not in it for the work it will get ugly before it's over

Just my 2 cents

I think he figures throwing money at it will get it done faster. He wants to rent rakes and rock pickers and discs, etc. Put the rocks in piles and throw them in the skid steer bucket. It's cheap and easy but physical labor. Yes for hiring a big Cat for the heavy work but there's a ton of smaller stuff to do that you just have do yourself. He wants me to show him how to run my equipment. I can but you don't become an operator overnight. I'm mostly mad at his wife for dissed me in front of customers. I have to get an agreement done up to. I'm pretty open minded and generally easy to get along with but as far as the track and my land, I have to have final say.

It seems like I see this dirt race track/partner argument thing come up over and over all across the web.

Not from me. I just posted on here to see how other people and business owners would respond.

Depending on how pizzed you are?? you can make a phone call or wait until you can pull HER to the side..
Hey "Lisa" can I talk to you for a minute OVER HERE?? Remember when that customer didn't have cash? & you went on a rant about electr. pmt?? You made me look like an ass infont of NEW CUSTOMERS.!!
Couldn't you have said, I'll help you set it up, its easy & leave it at THAT.??!!!!
I didn't appreciate it & "WE" lost a customer.!!! SO in the future, anything involving a BUSINESS discussion is NOT DONE infront of a customer.!!! GET IT?? Have a good day..
Simple, straight forward & to the point.. & nobodys feelings get hurt..
& when SHE goes back & tells her hubby you yelled at her.. & she explains the situation.. he'll agree w/ YOU.!!
Good luck Dave..

Her boyfriend is throwing money at your track. She thinks that gives her the right to tell you how to run your business/hobby. People with money are like that. If you continue to be partnered with him, it will only get worse.

If his money is a "donation" to your track, and you're sick of him and her, tell them to get lost- but you will be shutting off the money tap- and I don't know if its worth that for you- only you can say how much you need his $$.

Her treatment of you should be a good sign of how this guy talks about you and the track when your not around- i.e. "Dave's a good guy but he's stuck in 1963 on this track and needs to get his a$$ in gear and get it built. I'm the guy with the money who will get it done, he doesn't understand about the sponsorships, paypal, credit card, square. etc. We need to get this going, as soon as the paperwork is signed we'll get this thing built."

Expect him to use his $$ to push you out, and them to want to change/ run/ control things.

No way would I make it a "formal" partnership. Keep it your land and your track, if he wants to donate fine- the girlfriend is trouble, boot him and the $$$. If you really need his money, you're going to put up with her mouth and them running things.

Expecting to "talk" to her and she will change is foolishness. You've seen how she is, expect the same, only now she's going to be mad at you for "correcting" her and for you being difficult.

Sorry- you've got to decide how bad you need his $.

Preach it crane op !

DAM CraneOp.. that's harsh.. {but prob true}.. Lol
"sometimes" the truth hurts..
That's why I would pull HER aside.. THEN SEE what the repercussions are gonna be, when she goes runnin back to the boyfriend.. THEN I would tell HIM the same thing you told her.. & if it gets ugly.. tell'm to stick it..

I'm stuck in the 60's too.. I JUST HAD & I mean "JUST HAD".. before I clicked on this thread..an email from a guy who wants to send me 50.00 for helping him fix his tractor via the web.. & wants to send it to my PP account..
Well guess what.. I don't have one..Lol
I told him if he was "serious".. just send a check to my address..
I probably lost 50.00.?? LOL..

When I heard partnership, I had a cold chill. A business can only go one direction and a partnership will constantly be pulled in at least two directions. If you need the money investment, realize you are dancing with the devil, the short term gain will bring angst and heartbreak. Consider her outburst as a sample of things to come.
If things go well monetarily, they will want to be in your books, if they don’t go well and they think it should have, expect accusations of theft or some kind of impropriety.
Just my opinion.

thepumpguysc said:

That's why I would pull HER aside..

Click to expand...

... and stick something in her mouth to shut her up. I'll let you decide what to stick in her mouth.

Thanks for the all the comments. Pumpguy, I like your suggestion to pull his wife aside. She better not give me any attitude and he better not either or they can pay me back the money and time I put in and rent the track and do all the work with their own equipment. He's talked a lot about helping out and all the stuff he is going to do but only recently has he actually made an effort. He'll help at the track unless something else comes up. Money is one thing but it doesn't replace the work needed to be done. He got the guy back with the 850J JD to do some work and now that guy decides he needs to be at the lake more than he needs to do the job he was hired for. I wish I new someone else out there with a big dozer because I'd tell the other guy to pick up his machine and go. He had endless excuses last year for not showing up and it's really delayed us. We need to get this done and it's been just one big SNAFU after another. The gravel pit was going to try and find time to bring their grader over on Saturday to level the track but wanted some grade stakes to see the high and low spots. The guy with the dozer has the laser level and who knows if he'll show up by then. 2 steps backwards for every step forward. It's beyond frustrating!

I've got to agree with Crane Op and repowerguy. The only ship that doesn't sail is a partnership. If she's already involved in a business, and her way of way of dealing with a business decision is belittling you in front of a customer, she needs to go. ASAP. You can try talking to them, but it sounds like it'll be falling on deaf ears.

Personally, I would get my money out, and make them lease the ground required for this oval track from you. Collect a monthly payment for leasing out the land, make them build their own track how they want it, run their own business and carry their own liability insurance. If they dont make the lease payments, they get evicted, lose the track and the headache is over.

I think u guys are being quite harsh.. I've known/know a lot of "chicks" like this..
boyfriend/husband has a lot of money so they THINK "THEY" have a lot of money.. & the mouth/power that goes along w/ it..
All it takes is a stern/sincere conversation & 90% of the time its cleared-up..
Usually what happens is, they get their wittle feewings hurt & don't come around anymore.!!!
" No, I don't wanna go.. he yelled at me".. Lol

Do you have a formal contract for your partnership that spells out specific responsibilities and control ?

Well, once she walked off from initially embarrassing you, you could have said to the customers standing there...…….."I think that cow is wearing people clothes." OK, maybe that's a bad idea.

Tinkerer said:

Do you have a formal contract for your partnership that spells out specific responsibilities and control ?

Click to expand...

You got it, Tinkerer, word of mouth partnerships ain't worth the paper, they aint written on...

Come-on Dave.. make that call.!!! before she forgets.. cuz that'll probably be the words outta her mouth..
"what?? I don't remember THAT"..