Covering Contracts
Contracts are imperative when dealing with clients! Before Seven Stars Studio, I used to work with clients without contracts, and I regretted it, so when I was planning Seven Stars Studio, I wasn’t planning on opening my books until I got my contracts in order.
Contracts are important to protect not only yourself and your business, but your clients as well! Here are some of my tips and resources for crafting your contracts.
Here’s my biggest tip…
Follow a template, but write your contract from scratch! A contract is a legally binding document and it’s so important to know its contents inside and out and know what each word means. When I was launching my business, I decided to write my own contract, one that adheres to the copyright laws in my country and one that included only what I need and nothing more. I wanted my contracts to be fluff free, straight to the point, and most importantly, easy to understand and free of confusing legal jargon. The result is a 2 and a half page contract that my clients love and I’m fully confident in to protect my business.
In the resources section at the end of this post, I share the links to the templates I based my contract on.
Contract Must Haves
DELIVERABLES
Clearly list the deliverables included in the package so your client knows exactly what they’re getting. I also have a section for OUT OF SCOPE WORK, which details how we’ll approach extra deliverables the client wants while the project is ongoing.
PAYMENTS
Outline the fees, when the payments are due (especially if there’s a payment plan), and . If you require a deposit, also state the amount, when it’s due, and that no work begins until it’s paid.
LATE FEES
It’s so important to stay on schedule for yourself and your client! Implementing late fees will help the project stay on track and encourage your clients to be timely. I have late fees for client tasks and invoices.
REVISIONS
Make sure you clearly state how many rounds of revisions are included in the package. This way, you can always point to the contract if they’re looking to get more revisions from you. Stand your ground on this!
ADDITIONAL EXPENSES
For all my projects, I always make it clear with the client that there will be additional expenses that I’m not responsible for (except font licenses) and that the project fee does not cover. For my brand design projects, this means font licenses; for web design projects it’s mostly their website + domain plan. This depends on the client and their deliverables though, it’s not always the same.
CLIENT RESPONSIBILITIES
I list client responsibilities in my contracts just so there’s a signed agreement that they agree to attend meetings/calls on time, submit their client homework, and provide feedback properly and according to the guidelines I provide.
CANCELLATION
Make sure to be clear on what happens should your client wish to cancel the project? Do you have a cancellation fee? How is the amount determined? Do they still get the files?
COPYRIGHT
Who holds the copyright to the final deliverables? For my brand design projects, I state that Seven Stars Studio holds the rights to any created work, but we grant the client an unlimited license to use the files once the final invoice is paid. For website design, the client holds the rights to the designs. I also mention that Seven Stars Studio is allowed to use the work produced across on social media and website.
Creating & Delivering Contracts
I create all my documents on Adobe InDesign – I have a master template for my contracts which I duplicate for every client and make changes accordingly. I save it as a .pdf which I upload to PandaDoc, but more on that below…
I used to use PandaDoc to send my clients their contracts. I’m on the free plan and it works perfectly for my needs. I simply upload the .pdf file of the contract, add the fields I need (dates + signatures), then just send the link to my client/ There, they can view the contract and sign it themselves. Once both the client and I have signed it, I download it and upload the file to their Client Portal so they can view their contract whenever they wish.
There are plenty of apps you can integrate with PandaDoc to accept payments too, so it would be great to use to send invoices as well. As of now, you can connect PayPal, Stripe, QuickBooks, and Authorize.net.
However I’m also considering switching to Adobe Acrobat to deliver my contracts to streamline my process.
Resources
Branding Contract by Bonsai
Web Design Contract by Bonsai
Design Business and Ethics by AIGA
The Collective Legal Guide for Designers by Smashing Magazine (includes templates!)
If you prefer to purchase a contract, here are some trusty ones:
Contract Template by Sarah Buckland Coaching
As always, my DMs are always open if you have any questions!
