Shareholders (incorporation) and Partnerships are two business structures that allow for clear division of responsibilities, both financially and with the day to day operation of your business.
Shareholders are created in the incorporation process and provide the business with tax and liability benefits, but is a much more complex process to manage compared to simple partnerships.
Partnerships are a good alternative to incorporation when you want to conduct business with another individual while protecting each other in the event of a disagreement or dissolution of the company.
In either Partnerships or Shareholder arrangements, properly drawn agreements will help reduce conflict and set out the rules that will govern the relationship of the parties.