Client Agreement (Contract) vs. Independent Contractor Agreement - Page 3 - Virtual Assistant Forums

Office Goddess · #21 (**permalink**) 05-04-2009

Also check the forum document library as I believe there are some contracts available.

IMHO, using an independent contractor agreement signifies more of an employee-type relationship than a business-to-business relationship; that's why I don't use one, only a standard contract and a Confidentiality Agreement.

Watt's The Answer · #22 (**permalink**) 4 Weeks Ago

I have just started my Virtual Business at the beginning of the year and am in the process of setting up a contract for my first client. I am always so amazed at what an incredible industry this is- with people willing to support and give advice. Thanks girls...

vrsi-office · #23 (**permalink**) 3 Weeks Ago

I agree with the above posts. Use a Client Service Agreement with included Independent Contractor language, not just an Independent Contractor Agreement. You are contacting with your clients as a business not as an individual. (Clients should be making payments to your company name, not your personal name.)

You should also supply your clients with a W-9. You can find a copy of a W-9 on the IRS website at: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw9.pdf.

Your Client Service Agreement should also have a section with Confidentiality / Non-Disclosure language.

Julie

vrsi-office · #24 (**permalink**) 2 Weeks Ago

If your interested, I have my Service Agreement posted on my website. You are welcome to look at or download. (The download on my forms page is in a PDF file format. If you need it in a word format, this can be downloaded by clicking on the small gray dot in the bottom right corner of my forms page.)

Link to my forms page: http://www.vrsioffice.com/forms/forms.html

Julie

ABusinessWoman · #25 (**permalink**) 2 Weeks Ago

Julie,

Thanks for offering your contract as an example. My specialty is contract administration so I am always interested in reviewing contracts. I found a few terms within your contract that weren't appropriate terms. Take a look at Article 4.5, in the
1st line after, "hereby unconditionally", the term used in the contract is "identifies" but the appropriate term should be, "indemnifies", it was probably a typo, but if this contract is ever the subject of any litigation, you want to be fully protected.

Also, in Article 6.0, the appropriate term is "liquidated damages" vs. "liquid damages", please consider me a resource if you have contract questions.

Melanie