A bagel, on its own, is dry. Cream cheese without a bagel just doesn’t work. Put the two together, and you’ve got something delicious (especially if it’s right out of the oven at the bagel shop).

If you can find the right cream cheese for your bagel, you’re going to have something magical. Similarly, bringing on a marketing partner can take your marketing to the next level.

Here are some ideas.

You’d like to do an open house for your new office. There’s a new bakery in town. Team up and feature its baked goods at your party. Promote both businesses in the invitations, press releases, and announcements. Better yet, do it at the bakery and feature special cakes for divorce parties.

How about a reception with an accounting firm? You invite your attorney and mental health referral sources to meet their accountants. They invite their business clients to meet you. Get a local string quartet to join with you and promote its services to the attendees by playing and passing out cards and brochures.

It’s not too early to start thinking about a holiday party. Consider assembling a group of small firms to co-sponsor the party. Have everyone chip in an agreed amount and allocate a set number of invitations to each firm. Make sure the firms are competitive. Your firm, obviously, will be the sole family law practice. Seek out other firms from several different practice areas. Be sure everyone meets everyone else at the party.

Just make sure you’ve got things straight with the cream cheese before you spread it on your bagel.

Before you commit to a joint project, be certain your marketing partner has a good network of connections. Make sure the project is going to be mutually beneficial, and be sure you’re both comfortable promoting each other to your clients and referral sources. A joint project won’t work unless each participant is on the same page and has the same understanding of the goals and objectives. Talk through all the issues before you commit to the project.

As you work through the issues with your prospective marketing partner, be sure you talk about the money. Create a budget in writing and agree to the terms before you get started. Build in some cushion for the unexpected. Overcommunicate with your partner. It’s easy for events to head in unexpected directions, and you need a strong relationship with your partner. You want your event to strengthen your relationship with your partner as well as with all the new people you’ll be meeting.

Marketing with a partner enables both of you to build relationships you wouldn’t have otherwise created. It helps you reduce your marketing expenses, and it comes with the benefit of having someone else promote you rather than you having to do it yourself. Find the right marketing partner, and you’ll have everything you need to keep buying bagels for a very long time.