The Contract Shop: An Honest Review for Service Providers
*Disclosure - this post contains some affiliate links. This means that if you click on my link and then go on to make a purchase, I will receive a small amount of commission at no additional cost to you.
When you’re an online business owner things like contracts, privacy policies and terms and conditions aren’t just legal jargon anymore - they are foundational business essentials. But navigating the legal aspects of a business can feel really overwhelming if you’re not a legal professional. It’s hard to figure out what to include, how to protect yourself and whether you’ve missed something important.
But if you want to be legally protected from clients not paying you, scope creep, theft of intellectual property and any other legal disputes, you need to have a legal contract in place with every client you work with.
How to Get Legal Documents for Your Business
There are several different ways to get a contract in place when you work with clients, and the legal policies you need for your website. The best approach for you will depend on your budget, how quickly you need it, and the complexity of your work. Here are some of the most common ways to get a contract for your business:
Hire a lawyer
This option is great for high-stakes contracts like large retainers and international clients, or for regulated industries such as health, finance and education. Going down this route will mean that your contract is 100% tailored to your services, business model and client type. You’ll also be able to ask questions and get direct legal advice. However, this option also comes with a 4 figure price tag. It can take several weeks of back and forth revisions to nail down the contract and there will most likely be ongoing fees for future revisions and edits.
2. Purchase a template written by a legal professional
This option provides fast, affordable legal protection for freelancers, designers, coaches and creatives. The templates are reliable because they have been written by a lawyer, and they are industry specific e.g. wedding photography, graphic design, coaching etc.
3. DIY
This may be an option for freelancers who have no budget at all, but it is a risky option. These are often copied from incomplete or outdated templates and there is no guarantee that they will hold up in court. This isn’t the best option if you want real protection.
What is The Contract Shop*?
The Contract Shop was founded in 2015 by Christina Scalera. Christina Scalera is a qualified attorney who has a deep understanding of the legal requirements for creative entrepreneurs and online service providers.
They offer contract templates that are specific to various niches such as:
Coaching Contract Template
Therapist Contract Template
Wedding or Event Planner Contract Template
Virtual Assistant (VA) Contract Template
Social Media Manager (SMM) Contract Template
Blogger (Affiliate & Earnings) Disclaimer
Affiliate Agreement Contract Template
Podcast Speaker Contract Template
Contract Bundle for Artists, Painters, and Calligraphers
Contract Bundle for Graphic Designers & Web Designers
This isn’t an exhaustive list. There are contract templates for lots of different niches - it’s worth checking out.
Each contract template comes with:
The template itself
A video walkthrough of each clause in the contract, detailing what it means so you have an in depth understanding of your contract
A course on how to customise your template, send it to clients, upload it to a CRM and how to adjust services without needing a new contract each time
Contracts for working with clients isn’t all they sell. The Contract Shop also has:
Privacy Policies and Terms and Conditions Templates for your website, e-commerce store, digital product store and online courses
Affiliate Program Terms
Blogger Disclaimer Template
Courses on Refunds and Trademarks
Workbooks including Business Mindset and Prepping Your Business for Emergencies
The essentials that you need to get started with a business are all here in one place, and as your business grows you can come back for any additional contracts or policies you might need.
Benefits of Using The Contract Shop
Affordability
The templates from The Contract Shop* are extremely affordable. A contract template for a creative entrepreneur is typically £379, although the price does vary depending on industry and niche. The Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions for Your Website bundle starts at £227.00 and there are options to add further policies for e-Commerce stores and online courses. They offer a Blogger Disclaimer template for as little as £29.00.
2. One time payment for lifetime use
Unlike some other legal template sites, there isn’t a monthly or annual subscription in order to use the templates over and over again. Once you’ve purchased a template, you can use it forever.
3. Video walkthroughs
The video walkthroughs that are provided with each template go into a lot of detail about each clause. This means that you have a very good understanding of what you are asking your clients to sign and what you are protected against should you ever need to take legal action.
4. Easy to customise
All the templates are super easy to tailor to your own needs. Each template comes with customisable sections that are highlighted and an accompanying video so when it comes to editing your template you know exactly what is relevant to you and your business and what isn’t.
5. Available instantly
Once you purchase a template, it is ready to download and customise straight away. If you needed a contract asap to get out to a client, you could have one ready within a couple of hours of purchasing. There is no back and forth with a lawyer meaning there is no long timeline in getting started with your future clients.
Is the Contract Shop* Worth It?
Yes! If you run a service based business as a freelancer or creative entrepreneur then having legal documents in place for working with clients and on your website is a must for protecting yourself from non payments, scope creep, breached deadlines and much more. There are also legal requirements for websites to have a privacy policy and cookie policy in place (please check the laws in your own area), and not having these could result in hefty fines for you and your business.
Check out the 7 Essential Pages You Need on Your Website.
The Contract Shop offers a very accessible solution. Their contracts and legal policies are affordable and offer a layer of protection that a DIY contract probably won’t. And because all their products include video walkthrough and detailed explanations, you are left with a really good understanding of the level of protection you are getting.
If you need contracts and legal policies for your business or your website, I highly recommend you check out The Contract Shop*.
Disclaimer: I am not a legal professional and I cannot give you legal advice. If you purchase a legal template online I highly recommend that you take it to a legal professional and have them look over it to ensure it meets your needs.
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