When Teddy George's first business partner left after just seven months, it looked like the end of the line for her fledgling business services firm George Jacobsen. But with the arrival of new partner Melanie Simpson, things have picked up

Teddy George My background is in HR. I had a baby in 2006 and decided to rebalance. I'd gone back to work when my brother-in-law, who runs a corporate finance boutique, called me to say he was finding it hard to find support services. So we came up with the idea to provide outsourced back-office services to smaller firms. Seven months into the business, my co-founder got an invitation to teach at Oxford and left. I'm not angry with her. But like any relationship that breaks up, there are issues of who do you tell and when? Good things came out of it. I was introduced to Mel and if anything, her outsourcing background means she has better skills.

Melanie Simpson My background is operations management. I was running the European division of a global outsourcing business, with a £60m budget across 10 countries when I got a virus that mutated and inflamed my brain lining and I collapsed. It was a bit of a wake-up call. I was forced to take six weeks off, which made me re-prioritise. I loved my job, but I took time off and saw friends and family and it made me wonder why I had to collapse to see them. I resigned and took the rest of the year off. When a mutual friend introduced me to Teddy we got on like a house on fire and in January I became a partner in the business.

TG I felt like I was treading water keeping hold of what we'd got until Mel came in. It was like a re-launch. I was always clear I was never going to do it on my own. I am better in a team and I wanted someone as passionate about growing something as I am. Employees are different because you have to motivate them.

MS The split of responsibilities happens naturally. I am highly organised and so if anything needs organisation, I tend to get hold of it. I am also relentlessly positive. When Teddy thinks we're doomed, I am positive. Teddy's background is HR, so she picks up the recruitment and HR stuff. When we do work that is operational or strategic I pick it up. In terms of our company, we work on strategy and business planning together. We share a lot of that organisational side of it. 

TG Maybe as the business grows it will become more important to define roles more clearly, but at the moment it works well. We talk often and we haven't had split responsibilities.

MS We will grow the business. I don't think we'll be multinational or rule the world, but we both have a goal of being an outsourced operational management provider in at least London and the South East. 

TG Being a small business ourselves helps when we're dealing with clients because we know the pitfalls. We try to apply some of the principles we bang on about. It is difficult when you are running your own business because you are focused on what needs to be done and your aren't bothered about some of the back-office stuff.

MS Our clients see us as the face of the business. They pick up the phone to Teddy or me. We live by what we preach, which is outsourcing. You don't need headcount in your business if you are not using them 100 per cent.

TG I started the business with someone I didn't know. But I knew I would make a new friend. It's like any relationship in that you've got to accept that there are times when everything is great and it's a real high and times when one is doom and gloom. We've got the same ambitions for the business, so we don't have fights about where we are going. We have a laugh and get on well.

MS We're both in our late 30s. Although we thought we had made our mistakes in our corporate lives, we have come across a whole set of new challenges and now make different mistakes. But it's about how you react to them and support each other. If you go into a partnership without being able to be open and frank, it is a losing battle. If you haven't got the ability to be criticised or to discuss different solutions, you're scuppered.

TG Mel is super-organised and good at networking and making connections. She is a good deliverer. If she has weaknesses, they are offset by my strengths.

MS Teddy is gregarious and that helps when I'm not feeling so positive. She has great client skills. We plug each other's lack of knowledge. Teddy could be more organised. If we aren't busy she can get distracted. She also takes things to heart and it can affect her mood.