Legally Protecting Your Small Business
Legally protecting your small business is one of the best moves you can make. No matter what happens inside your business, you want to ensure you are conducting business in a legal matter, both for you and your client or customers. And there are a few ways you can go about it.
The first is, you can hire a local business attorney. This may be a good idea if your business is well-established already or a more complicated start up.
Another method you can use for legally protecting your business is to explore The Contract Shop, one of my personal favorites! The Contract Shop is trusted by entrepreneurs and serves as a one-stop shop for checking your legal boxes.
What is The Contract Shop
The Contract Shop is an online store, created by business attorneys, that sells contract templates, legal contracts, and more. Their goal is to make becoming a legit business, not an overwhelming or expensive process.
The Contract Shop gives every small business owner the tools they need to confidently manage their business. They believe everyone should have the ability to pursue their passions without legal problems getting in the way. Therefore they create products to legally protect small business owners, with no headache involved.
Who The Contract Shop Is For
The Contract Shop is for any small business owner. However, there are amazing products and product bundles for specific business types and industries.
The Contract Shop is great for:
- Artists & Calligraphers
- Coaches
- Consultants
- Designers
- Freelances & Small Businesses
- Photographers
Tools To Protect Your Business
When it comes to ensuring your business is legit, legal, and protected; there are a few things you will want in place. If you are unsure of everything needed for your business, explore The Contract Shop’s No Non-Sense Checklist for starting a business.
Tools To Protect Your Business:
- Contract Templates
- Terms & Conditions
- Refund Policies
- Trademarks
- Turnkey Business Binder (if you’re just starting out)
- Everything else
One of the most common ways to protect your business is with contracts. Having contracts in place, especially when you work 1:1 with clients, is a great way to outline your project scope and collect both your signature and your client’s.
For small businesses not working with clients, other ways to protect your business may use terms and conditions, refunds, and trademarks. A great place to start is with this $39 Turnkey Business Binder.
Contract Templates
If you work 1:1 with clients, contracts should be in place for every job. Your contract should outline the scope of work, any dates, pricing, what is included in the pricing, and more. A contract should be signed by both you and the client at the very beginning of each project. This is typically when money is collected.
Explore all Contract Templates here.
Terms & Conditions
Terms and conditions can be thought of as the rules of your website or small business. They outline your expectations of your visitors, giving clear rules to follow as well as repercussions if those site terms and rules are not followed.
The best terms and conditions outline the relationship between your brand and your customers clearly. Your website terms and conditions agreement will tell users exactly how they can and can’t behave and what to expect when interacting with your website, services, or products.Â
Explore all Terms & Conditions Templates here.
Refunds
If you sell online courses or digital products, refunds are a great resource to have in place. And they don’t need to feel scary. In fact, a strong refund policy can be a sales tool and show the confidence you have in your offer.
The Contract Shop offers a bundle devoted completely to refunds. With their Refund Recon offer, you receive a refund workshop, product guarantee template, policy template, and post-purchase refund replacement system.
Trademarks
Trademarks are also a great way to legally protect your small business. If you have a signature name or slogan or if you have spent hours perfecting your branding and offerings, a trademark may be a great way to secure them.
Explore Trademark On Tap here.
Shop The Contract Shop
If you’re ready to make your business legit, I cannot recommend The Contract Shop enough. This shop is a fountain of knowledge when it comes to making your business legal and protecting both you and your clients or clients.
The Turnkey Business Binder is one of my favorite resources inside The Contract Shop. This $39 binder is a fantastic resource if you are just starting out. And gives you a guide to all the legal documents you may need plus a business plan template.
Running into any legal trouble inside your business can come at a high cost. Therefore we want to ensure you are protected. Download this free No Non-Sense checklist to get started today. Lastly, if you are unsure about the legality of your business, always make time to ask.
