In this week's Freedom Friday blog and e-mail newsletter, I want to address an issue that came up with a prospective client, and that is “Why should your contracts be in writing?”  Earlier this week I was contacted by a prospective client about a contract issue.  She told me this story about one of her former clients, and the problems she experienced with him.  She also told me that she didn't have a written contract in place when this person had become her client, but that she does have a written contract now.

There are several reasons why your contracts should be in writing.  In my line of business, I'm required to have a written fee agreement in place for every project that I do for my clients.  This is a very good practice.  Here are three reasons your contracts should be in writing:

1.  Written Contracts Set Expectations

The first reason why your contracts should be in writing is because written contracts sets expectations.  You as a small business owner will have an expectation of what your responsibilities will be towards your customer, and your customer will have an expectation of what their responsibility will be towards you.  A written contract sets expectations between the parties to the contract, and there are typically no surprises.

2.  Written Contracts Avoid Misunderstandings

The second reason why your contracts should be in writing is because written contracts avoid misunderstandings.  Not only will written contracts set expectations, but they will help avoid misunderstandings between the parties.  Many times when there is not a written contract in place, there are misunderstandings and miscommunications between the parties.  If you are interested in providing excellence to your customers as a small business owner, that level of excellence is provided in the details of your product or your service.   This starts with having a written contract which provides those details and avoids misunderstandings.

3.  Written Contracts Keep People Accountable

The third reason why your contracts should be in writing is because written contracts keep people accountable.  A written contract will set expectations and avoid misunderstandings, and it will also keep the parties accountable.  A written contract will help you as a small business owner understand what your responsibilities are and keep you accountable to those responsibilities.  Likewise, a written contract will also keep your customers accountable as they will understand what is expected of them.

If you have questions like, “Why should my contracts be in writing?”  it might be helpful for you as a small business owner to be able to call or e-mail an attorney and get your questions answered.  However, many small business owners do not want to contact a lawyer because they are afraid of what it will cost.  The small business owner who contacted me earlier this week asked me up front how much my help would cost.  If you're a small business owner who has legal questions about your small business, we have a program geared towards you, which can help you get your questions answered.  This month at Liberty Legal Solutions, LLC, we are introducing the “Circle of Liberty” monthly membership program for small business owners who have questions not only about their contracts, but for all sorts of legal issues regarding their small business.

As a member of the “Circle of Liberty,” you will get the following benefits:

•        Unlimited scheduled phone calls using Calendly
•        Unlimited access via email
•        Complimentary contract review
•        Private Facebook group for small business owners, including regularly scheduled support calls

The cost to join the “Circle of Liberty” membership program is only $97/month, and there is no commitment and no contract, so you can stop at any time.  If you're interested in joining the “Circle of Liberty,” send me an e-mail at [email protected], and we'll get you started.

Also, if you're interested in scheduling a FREE strategy session for your small business, please e-mail me at [email protected]

For more information about Liberty Legal Solutions, LLC, please visit our website at http://www.libertylegalok.com