My goal is to share high-value advice to help you grow your business each week.
This week’s topic is contracts. They may be boring, but they matter.
Few things are worse than starting a project only to have a client slowly add extra work and expect it for the same price. That’s scope creep, and it’s exactly why solid contracts are essential.
The Resources 👇
They set the correct expectations: Contracts provide clear guidelines on project scope, timelines, and expectations, minimizing misunderstandings.
They protect your IP (Intellectual Property): Contracts safeguard freelancers' intellectual property by defining ownership rights upon project completion.
They make sure you get paid: Contracts establish transparent payment terms, securing fair compensation and preventing payment disputes.
They legally protect your behind: Contracts include legal clauses that shield freelancers from potential liabilities and outline dispute resolution procedures.
Present yourself in a professional light: Well-drafted contracts showcase professionalism, building trust by delineating responsibilities and commitments clearly.
In the spirit of keeping things highly practical and valuable for you, I’ve already gone ahead and provided you with two contract templates you can use with your clients 👇
Disclaimer: We’re not lawyers, I’d recommend having a lawyer glance over the contracts to make they’re applicable to the local laws in your region.
Your Next Steps:
Download whichever template you require based on whether you offer one-off projects, retainer contracts, or both.
Modify the yellow-highlighted text in the contract to fit your business
Double-check the contract to make sure everything is applicable to your location. I’m Canadian, so you’ll see Canada referenced a few times.
Send it off to clients and get it signed. I recommend using a free e-signature tool like Signaturely. They’re a hoot and it works real well.
Link Love ❤️
Here are a few more links for you to check out when you’re not busy pitching for new clients or delivering your projects. I’ve never fanciest myself a master of persuasion, so to really drill the importance of freelance contracts into you, I’ve called on some backup:
👉 Why contracts matter for freelancers?
👉 Juli Bristi’s personal take on the freelance contractors and how they protect your rights
👉 Link to Signaturely for getting your contracts signed
👉 Get your free 14-day trial of Book Like A Boss
That’s a wrap 👊
Here’s the broad strokes:
Freelance contracts matter. Use them. Installing them into your business should be priority number 1. Go do it. (👈 Yes, that was intentionally repetitive).
Check out the links for additional reading that I shared with you above. Those are curated articles. I highly recommend them.
Use a free e-signature tool like Signaturely to get your contracts signed.
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