If the title of this post made you scratch your head a bit…hear me out! I am willing to bet most of you have NEVER thought about how your legal documents can save you money, and even make you MORE money, right?? These are the top three (3) ways you can make you legal documents work for you ASAP!
- Avoid legal fines and FTC penalties with the right website documents
The moment you hit *publish* on your new website – while a VERY exciting moment in your business and journey as an entrepreneur – is also the moment you begin creating exposure if you do not have the right documents in the footer of your website. For most businesses, the 3 website documents needed are:
- An international Privacy Policy — this document is actually legally required by the FTC the moment your website becomes live, if there is ANY way people can contact you from your website, or if you collect data from anyone through your website (e.g. names, email addresses, etc.) Maximum fines for skipping this step?? Up to $2,500 PER WEBSITE VISIT without an accurate, complete privacy policy in place. (If you don’t have this — don’t panic! GET YOURS HERE)
- A Disclaimer — this is a document I get a LOT of questions about, especially from those in the health and wellness community. The website disclaimer will remind your viewers, readers, and potential clients that everything on your website, in your free resources, on your social media, and anywhere else you post content is general information and education only, and is in no way meant to be taken as personalized advice. Without having this on your website, you run the risk of liability, should someone implement content they read from your website or social media and have any kind of negative response, which we want to avoid!!
- Website Terms & Conditions — these are the ground rules for your website, and is where you will protect your content, outline how people can or cannot use your website, how any disputes relating to your website or content will be resolved, and other limitations of liability. Having these on your website allow you to control how your content and website are used, and ensure any disputes are resolved quickly, locally, and using your state’s laws. (Yes! This can be a thing when you have clients all over the world!)
2. Have a CLEAR, credible, well-written contract that all potential new clients review prior to working with you.
If someone is looking to drop a good chunk of money to work with you, they are probably going to expect a well-organized onboarding process, which includes a well-written contract, presented in an organized way. Put yourself in their shoes: if you were planning to spend 4 or 5 figures on a coach or service provider, would you feel comfortable about the investment if their contract was clearly copied and pasted from other sources, or seems to have been written with another type of business in mind? I see this ALL the time — and personally, I would rethink my investment if a potential coach or mentor sent me a raggedy contract. I would want to be sure the contract was clear on everyone’s obligations, protected me legally, and would help us in the event of a misunderstanding or issue. Plus, it would tell me they took their business seriously, and invested in themselves, as I am about to invest with them!
By having your Client Agreement and Terms of Use well-written, clear, and applicable to YOUR products and services, you absolutely put your best foot forward to your potential clients, and put yourself in a position to have more potential clients say YES!
CLICK HERE TO GRAB YOUR LEGAL TEMPLATE BUNDLE!
- Avoid potential copyright infringement by using YOUR OWN documents
Did you know in order to use a legal agreement, you need permission from the attorney who wrote the contract, NOT the person who is giving it to you?? So if you’re using a contract given to you by a friend, family member, coach, or something you found online, you need permission from the attorney who wrote that contract in order to legally use it. Without that permission, unfortunately, you could be committing copyright infringement — just like if you were to copy/paste a blog post from someone else, or swipe a photo from someone else. Although these seem more “wrong” than using a legal contract, it’s actually exactly the same!
Make sure you have the legal right to use any contract you use in connection with your business, AND check with the attorney who drafted the template or specific contract to be sure the contract is meant for your type of business or services. (CLICK HERE TO GRAB YOUR CLIENT AGREEMENT)
By having the right documents in place, making sure they apply to YOUR business and services, and confirming you are not accidentally infringing on someone else’s rights by using the documents, you are well on your way to maximizing your savings and profits through your legal documents.
Questions? Ask below!
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