Well, when I'm looking for a potential partner I tend to make sure the deal is at least a 6 month agreement. Partnerships less than that aren't worth the price you pay for. Of course, you also have to take into account on how they want to either sponsor you or you'll sponsor them. You can get screwed if you're given one of their contracts and the agreement is more of a 20/80 sorta deal. Another thing I find important is how large is the company in question? That can really make or break any deal. For example if a small company is asking for too much it's usually not worth pursuing