The importance of customised contracts
This is a question you have probably already asked yourself: is it absolutely necessary to have a contract tailored to my business? Isn’t a standard template adequate as a legal document when starting up as a self-employed person?
Our answer: every situation is different. While a standard template (obtained from a reliable source) will suffice in some cases, there is no guarantee that the clauses in it will be comprehensive and appropriate for your business. Prevention is better than cure!
Having a proper contract will save you a lot of hassle and make you look reliable and professiona
Terms and conditions
Entrepreneurship is also about taking risks, but you can limit these risks with good terms and conditions. With this legal document, you can easily regulate a wide range of relationships with your customers. Saving time and money!
The clauses in the terms and conditions limit the risk of discussions with customers in many respects. In particular, they set out:
- the price and method of payment
- additional costs and in which cases they apply
- the delivery
- the guarantee
- liability
- or the consequences of non-compliance with the agreement
They can also prevent you from being held responsible for, for example, unintentional late delivery.
Your general terms and conditions are the ideal legal document to fulfil your legal obligations as a self-employed person (e.g. in the case of an online shop) and to take action against bad payers.
Cooperation agreement
Entrepreneurship is about cooperation. However, in this case, the right legal documents are also needed to protect your business and your cooperation. Regulate them by means of a cooperation agreement.
Cooperation can take many forms, for example when you use a freelancer or subcontractor to meet the growing demand of your customers, or when you develop and market a product or service together with another self-employed person. The cooperation agreement sets out the terms and conditions of such cooperation.
It provides answers to practical questions such as:
- What happens when cooperation stops being smooth?
- What happens when agreements are not respected?
- How can the contract be terminated?
- What are the financial consequences?
Service level agreement (SLA)
Entrepreneurship is about serving customers. But how far will you go? Think about this carefully ahead of time and put the agreements in writing in a legal document called a service-level agreement (SLA).
Self-employed people can provide services in different ways, for example as a specialist advisor, installer, repairer, transporter, health professional, web developer, etc. The provision of services with goods requires additional agreements.
The service agreement determines the terms and conditions of such service provision. It answers questions such as:
- What happens if performance does not go as expected, or if it causes damage?
- Who is responsible for what costs?
- How can the contract be terminated and what are the financial consequences?
Other useful legal services
If your business grows, you will certainly need other legal services to comply with the law and protect your business.
In particular, you will need to draw up a deed of incorporation for your company. This official legal document includes the company's articles of association, which set out all of the company's characteristics (name, registered office, purpose and capital) and its mode of operation.
Do you need legal advice specific to your situation?
