Do I Need a Contract for my Virtual Assistant Business?
Storytime…
When I first started my business, I knew I “needed” a contract, but I didn’t realize the importance of the types of clauses that needed to be included. A little something called boundaries...
Establishing boundaries in your business is one of the most important things you can do.
I caught myself in a situation with a client who was expecting me to respond to customer inquiries at every hour of the day… including 10pm! AHHHH. I couldn’t really blame her though because there were no firm boundaries in place. It led to an awkward conversation & a lesson learned because this VA business was MY business and I started it to have flexibility (answering messages at 10pm… no thanks), so I had to relay that to my clients from the beginning.
How & when you communicate with your clients. When you'll say yes vs no. It's critical in creating positive client relationships and maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Not to mention - what happens if your client wants to end the relationship. What terms do you have in place for termination?
So how do you communicate those boundaries to your clients and ensure everyone is on the same page..?
A contract!! And not just any kind of contract - one created BY a LAWYER, specifically for Virtual Assistants.
If the legal side of owning your own business makes you sweat, then you’ve come to the right place.
Not only does a contract set up your personal boundaries, it also outlines:
your working hours
scope of work
rates
termination information
and so much more!
I have a very indepth video module inside of my Virtual Assistant Course with guest expert Paige Griffith (you might know her as The Legal Paige) to talk all about the importance of solid contracts for your business. They're that big of a deal.
If you're just getting started, don't wait to put a contract in place. You’ll want to have one ready before you sign your first client. It has saved my a** on multiple occasions, including a termination that could have gone south real quick if I didn’t have my 14-day termination clause in place.
And if your business is already established and you need a contract refresh (or a contract to begin with 🙈) - check out the Legal Paige. I get my contracts from her - she even has a specific Virtual Assistant one! You can learn more about them here! 👏🏼
Contracts are ultimately there to protect you and your business. And once you have one set up, you can just plug and play for each new client that comes along. So easy, right?
What questions do you still have? Leave a comment below!