Buddy SystemWill your team work? Follow these pointers to ensure a perfect pairing.

When Susan Smith (not her real name) opened a restaurant in Southern California two years ago, she reduced her economic investment by starting the business with a friend. Smith, 50, thought it would be a match made in heaven, but within weeks her partner discovered he hated the restaurant business. Eighteen months later, he sold his half to someone else.

"I didn't like the new partner as soon as I met him, but we were splitting the shifts and would only work together a couple of hours a day, so I thought, `How bad could it be?' " recalls Smith. "Boy, was I naive.