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Most Important Contracts To Have?

by blillard
11 replies
Hello I recently started a thread relating to dealing with pain in the butt clients and how some of you might handle such a client and what you did in that situation.

The word contracts came up a lot so I figure they are really important to an offline business and being that I had to deal with a transaction that would of otherwise went a lot better if I had a proper contract in place, I could of avoided a lot of headache.

My question are what are the most important contracts to have when starting an offline business? Which do you use the most in your business?
#contracts #important
  • Profile picture of the author bit twiddler
    Hi blillad,
    Sounds like getting ramped up for business. That's GREAT!
    Go check out these sites. They are sites where you can manage your business online and upload documents. Thre are other, you just need to search for them Many will have the documents you need.
    SohoOS
    WinWeb Cloud Computing & Small Business Software - WinWeb Office Cloud
    https://www.zoho.com

    You will want more in the long run, but these should get you going. The docs I use the most are Project Proposal, Project Contract, Change Orders, Account Authorization, and Invoice.

    Of course, you should be incorporated, but if you can't afford it then you must go get a "dba". A "dba" is a "Doing Business As" document you file with the local County CLerks Office (around $25 in my town) and it will be you local official recognition that you are "doing business" as an individual. This way you can claim a business name without filing for incorporation. For example, "blillard dba "Stockton Internet Marketing"". Then, as you build your business and you are getting more and more established, you can move your "dba" into a corporation. In both cases, "dba" and corporation, you will want to get business insurance. It's cheap, especially as a "dba", and biz ins for internet companies is among the cheapest you can buy. Maybe a $100 a year to start.

    T J
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    T J Tutor
    T J Tutor, LLC
    Syracuse, NY 13224
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  • Profile picture of the author blillard
    Yes a DBA is the same in my county as well. I will look at the site and get the MUCH needed forms so I can save myself a ton of frustration in the near future. I want to say thanks by the way for providing such a wonderful resource as I'm sure it will serve it purpose for future warriors who may need some forms.
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  • Profile picture of the author pfreelancer
    Well sometimes you think the contract will protect you but it can also bite you in the butt!

    You have to abide by the conditions and stipulations you have made in your contact. Do not promise too much outcome even if you are comfortable with it!

    Cheers,
    Carolina
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  • Profile picture of the author somyaguru
    Yes a DBA is the same in my county as well.
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  • Profile picture of the author HorseStall
    It depends on your kind of business. If you are a general contractor you need contracts if you are a retail store its far less relevant.
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    • Profile picture of the author bit twiddler
      Originally Posted by William Meers View Post

      I know this may sound odd to some, but I am a "handshake" kinda guy! I don't do business with people I don't trust, and everybody gets the benefit of the doubt. Do I get screwed over sometimes, yes. Often? NO. And it works in my favor. I will provide a contract only if the client feels one is necessary (and my consulting fees range from 1500-5000.month on average).

      It really is based on how you want to run the business and what service you're offering. Services that are ongoing may be better off to a contract stating terms etc. Everything else seems to work just fine without the paper trail


      HTH


      P.S. I don't think contracts are evil, I just hail from the South. We do things a bit different down there.
      Hi William,
      Wouldn't it be great if we could all do business on a hand shake. No doubt, this has been the way for some folks going back through time. It seems that living in litigious societies doesn't lend itself to the handshake model for most of us.

      Originally Posted by pfreelancer View Post

      Well sometimes you think the contract will protect you but it can also bite you in the butt!

      You have to abide by the conditions and stipulations you have made in your contact. Do not promise too much outcome even if you are comfortable with it!

      Cheers,
      Carolina
      Carolina,
      If you are the designer of the contracts, it should be working to your benefit. In fact, a good contract should be to the benefit of all parties. Do you have some examples of your getting "bit in the butt" by your own contracts?

      Originally Posted by HorseStall View Post

      It depends on your kind of business. If you are a general contractor you need contracts if you are a retail store its far less relevant.
      Hi HorseStall,
      Well I don't think we have many General Contractors or Store Front Retailers in the forum, but there may be a few. In these threads we are all about offline marketing and bringing the offline businesses online, into social environments for marketing and branding, into mobile and text marketing, and so much more. In the marketing world, and I can say this for a fact, when it comes to "ad men & women", nothing ever moves without contracts and retainers.
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      T J Tutor
      T J Tutor, LLC
      Syracuse, NY 13224
      USA
      315-569-7523
      tj@tjtutor.com
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  • Profile picture of the author somacorellc
    Ha, I'm in South Carolina and I'll make you sign a contract so fast it'll make your head spin!

    My view is that small claims court is cheap and for damages under I think $10k, I can stroll in there, hold up my contract, my bank records, and the work I did and win the case very easily.

    Don't get me wrong - I'm a handshake guy too - I'd just like to cma in case the other guy wants to screw me over.


    Originally Posted by William Meers View Post

    I know this may sound odd to some, but I am a "handshake" kinda guy! I don't do business with people I don't trust, and everybody gets the benefit of the doubt. Do I get screwed over sometimes, yes. Often? NO. And it works in my favor. I will provide a contract only if the client feels one is necessary (and my consulting fees range from 1500-5000.month on average).

    It really is based on how you want to run the business and what service you're offering. Services that are ongoing may be better off to a contract stating terms etc. Everything else seems to work just fine without the paper trail


    HTH


    P.S. I don't think contracts are evil, I just hail from the South. We do things a bit different down there.
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    Web Design Columbia SC
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  • Profile picture of the author Jay Rhome
    I used to hate contracts, and hate our litigious filled lawyer-based system, but then I decided not to fight it. Contracts protect both you and the client, makes everything agreed upon lasting and clear. I'm quite good at making mine from the templates and "live ones" but damn it takes a LONG time. And then a couple hundred bucks to get it reviewed by a lawyer...

    Now, to make the process easier in 90% of the cases - the standard orders - I'd like to add a checkbox with "I have read and agreed to the terms of service", which links of course to said TOS for that service.

    But how do you program that in so that the box NEEDS to be checked, and the authorization recorded? I guess I'll have to ask on the programming forum...
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    • Profile picture of the author somacorellc
      Just stick some javascript in your form like

      Code:
      if (!document.form.checkboxnamehere.checked) {
alert("You must check the box!);
}
      Or jsut grab a copy of WordPress Forms - Gravity Forms Contact Form Builder and Lead Data Management Plugin For WordPress and make it 100% easier

      Originally Posted by Jay Rhome View Post

      I used to hate contracts, and hate our litigious filled lawyer-based system, but then I decided not to fight it. Contracts protect both you and the client, makes everything agreed upon lasting and clear. I'm quite good at making mine from the templates and "live ones" but damn it takes a LONG time. And then a couple hundred bucks to get it reviewed by a lawyer...

      Now, to make the process easier in 90% of the cases - the standard orders - I'd like to add a checkbox with "I have read and agreed to the terms of service", which links of course to said TOS for that service.

      But how do you program that in so that the box NEEDS to be checked, and the authorization recorded? I guess I'll have to ask on the programming forum...
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      Web Design Columbia SC
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  • Profile picture of the author Jay Rhome
    I've dabbled in javascripts for the last 90 minutes now, including your code, and nothing seems to work. The BUY button can be clicked even if the checkbox is empty...

    I didn't think it'd be this hard for such a seemingly simple thing!
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