Why You Need to Read Your Contracts Carefully

If you’re an online entrepreneur that works with service providers, team members, or an agency that delivers services, you should ALWAYS have a contract in place. A contract sets out the terms of your working relationship including the services to be delivered, the price, how payment should be delivered, and more. 

It is essential to read your contracts carefully in order to fully understand what you can and can’t expect from your service provider and how they do business.

When you sign a contract, you are making a promise to the person that is delivering the service that you will honour what is in it. 

If you’re not reading your contracts carefully when you’re signing them, you put yourself at risk of not having your expectations met (even though they were clearly stated in the contract). 

Every service provider has the right to set their own boundaries and work the way they want to. That’s why having a contract is so important. If you aren’t reading your contracts carefully and fully educating yourself on what’s inside, that’s a YOU problem. 

It is not a service provider's problem if they have to tell you no to an extra service or no to completing tasks outside of their working hours if YOU didn’t read the contract carefully enough to understand their boundaries. 

It’s your job to read the fine print and educate yourself on the contract’s terms so that you’re fully protected and can ensure the hire you’re making is the right fit for you. 

If you are not happy with the clauses included in the contract, negotiate them at the time of signing the contract.

Don’t wait to attempt to negotiate them at the time that you’re trying to break the clauses. That shows that you didn’t take the time and due diligence to read the contract the first time and is disrespectful to the service provider’s boundaries. 

If you need help understanding your contracts and negotiating the clauses inside, hire a legal consultant or lawyer to help you. 

If you’re a virtual assistant looking for help in getting your contracts set up for success, click here to join The Foundation, where I’ll help you build those foundational elements of your business.