Contract conundrum

Most people don’t enjoy reading the legal jargon that is found in contracts or agreements. It is confusing and overly-complicated. People want the rules to be easy to understand. This follows our Easy to buy philosophy. It is good practice to have a standard “Terms of Service” and “Privacy Policy” in place. No one enjoys introducing difficult-to-understand contracts at the crucial moment a customer is deciding whether to hire you or not. At New Leaders, we try to spell out our rules clearly on our web site and recommend clients review them in detail prior to getting started. If you are not familiar with how we conduct business, here is how we work:

1. We charge a flat $175 per hour.

2. We accurately account for only the time you use.

3. We do not offer fixed price projects.

4. Our estimates aim to be within 25% of the final cost.

5. We invoice Net 15; the 1st and 15th of every month.

6. You can walk away at any time, no obligation.

7. We require you to pay for the work you request.

8. You own 100% of the work you pay for.

9. We request you utilize our services at your own risk.

These rules are so simple it is difficult to misinterpret them. Our goal is to make the process as straightforward and universal as possible. By doing this, we can cut down time spent in the sales process and pass that savings on to the customer. We don’t like long, drawn-out sales processes or jargon-filled contracts; so why would we subject our customers to them?

If you need to protect yourself from your customers, or vice versa, then you need to take a critical look at how you conduct business. Not every project is going to work out — it is a fact of life. By keeping the rules clear and simple you can minimize complicated legal discussions later. Your customers will appreciate your honesty and simplicity, and people who are looking to put the squeeze on you are thwarted by your common sense.

Try incorporating simple, uncomplicated rules into your business and see what happens. Like anything you create, be willing to revise or add basic addendums if needed over time. It is always a good idea to have your attorney review your rules to make sure your bases are covered. If you establish them correctly, you’ll have to answer fewer questions, suffer from fewer disputes, and more customers will say “YES!” more often.

This work is licensed through Creative Commons.

Posted on Mar 19, 2009 by Kevin Milden

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