Written and Contributed by Shalini Nandan-Singh, Lawyer
The first five years of business is a rollercoaster is an understatement! To the truly committed solopreneur it’s like giving birth all over again- so much to learn and do, information overload and much uncertainty about legals – the important documents or processes you need to have in place when you start out.
At idea stage when you are talking about your business idea to others – ensure you have a Non-Disclosure Agreement in place so your idea and your business information is confidential. You will be dealing with so many people in marketing that it’s not inconceivable that someone will also like your idea enough to run with it as their own idea.
To be competitive and visual in the market every viable business idea leads to a website. Once your website is approaching launch you will need Website Terms of Use and GDPR Compliant Privacy Policy – this is not negotiable. Your website content is your contract with your website visitor and terms of engagement are managed with a properly drafted Terms of Use. The collection of personal information via your website and marketing requires a GDPR compliant Privacy Policy.
So, what about what you actually sell in your business – how you make money. If you are selling a service you require Business Terms and Conditions aka Client Agreement, Service Contract, Consultant Agreement, depending on your service structure and presentation.
If you are selling products on your website then you require Terms of Sale (an ECommerce Policy)
These are essential legals to cover your website and client /customer interaction in your business.
As your business develops other legals will be required to cover relationships with other service providers that support you in your business and for other types of business activities that you may create in your business for example online courses, membership sites, directories, apps, workshops etc.
Need to chat about your legals? I am a passionate lawyer who enjoys empowering small business owners, entrepreneurs and startups to build confidence and understanding around their legal requirements.
Contact me to book in a free chat about your legals today
