Although we wish we could just give everyone the benefit of the doubt and say “Ok, well you said you were going to do this for me, so you will!” That’s not the reality of business today.

As a solopreneur, it’s important to have everything written down and signed.  This not only provides legal documentation for each party involved, but it also sets expectations. It allows to client to know up front what they can expect from you and what you expect from them.

• What one person sees as personal information that should not be shared, is going to be very different from what another person’s view may be.
• Hold on to documents! Even after a client is no longer active, you want to keep your documentation with them.  While I’m not a lawyer, who is able to give you an exact span of time, I would recommend getting advise in that area.
• Read and understand your own contact and anyone else’s who you are signing. You need to know your contract forwards and backwards so that you can have a conversation with a prospective client and correctly articulate the importance of each section or why you included that part.

Just as we want to help others, we also have to protect ourselves and our business. Make sure you have formal contracts set up for anyone you are providing services to, even if it’s your best friend.