It still surprises me how many times I hear from VAs who don't put contracts in place. The excuses range from 'They came on referral from a great client/colleague/friend/cousin' to 'I was afraid to turn off the prospect.' I'm posting this today because I've heard from THREE VAs just in the last week who are having issues with clients and are now in a tough spot because they don't have contracts to refer back to. And two of those VAs have been in business for more than a year each!

Contracts should be second nature to your business process. After the consultation call, once the client has confirmed that they want to work with you, the next step is to write up the contract and send it over for them to look over.

The same is true for subcontractors, vendors, ghostwriters, ANYONE you work with or hire - there should always be a contract in place.

If you're not sure how to write a contract or what to include - download one of the MANY contract templates from the VAF Store. It's that easy

Do you have any anecdotes to share about a time you didn't use a contract and how it impacted your business? Or a time you insisted on using a contract when maybe you wouldn't have otherwise? I'd love to see this conversation grow....

__________________

I too am surprised how many VAs don't use contracts. And to further exacerbate this situation, they do not take a deposit. IMO the contract and the deposit go together. I had a VA tell me a few months ago that she works on a 'virtual handshake' and that there was no deposit.

The problem is that the 'handshake' does nothing to commit the VA and the client to the partnership AND it does not give the VA professional credibility.

VAs need to layout terms, conditions, deadlines, penalties for late payments, payment policy, confidentiality agreements, communication processes, office hours and so much more! If this is not in writing, there is no way that a VA can discuss any deviations from these processes particularly if the client chooses to do so.

A contract gives order to the partnership between VA and client.

I worked with a VA who did not use a contract and wanted to work on the 'virtual handshake' method. It made me feel so uncomfortable that I drew up my own contract to send to her. It's not much of an anecdote but it simply felt 'weird' that I was giving my end of the terms for what the VA should be doing with my work. It should have been the other way around.

Janine

__________________
Want New Clients? Click for the RFP Transformation

I agree that a contract should always be used and electronic signature sites like Echo Sign make it very easy to send and get contracts signed. I have a template that I use for all clients and I just change one section of it to specify the work I will be doing for that particular client, so it does not take too much time to get the contract set up. A contract should not turn off a good client; they are business people and used to using contacts in their own businesses. If a potential client does not want to use a contract then they are unprofessional and you probably should not work with them. Anyway, you should always use a contact which is what I learned in Business Law 101 class back in college.

__________________
Suzanna Kiraly
AbundantIdeas.com

thank you for confirming this. I have been wondering if I have just become paranoid if I don't. Thank you.

contacts are one of the keys in maintaining trust and bond between client and the VA. But then it boils down to commitment and responsibilities. So having a contract would solidify the whole process, on the part of the VA it's gives them peace of mind and of course assurance that they get paid.

Tess,

How many posts need to be made before we can view the document library?

__________________
Thanks,
Tenille Williams |Outside the Office Viable Solutions | http://outsidetheofficevs.com

Hi Tenille, there isn't a document library on the site any longer. Free documents have been distributed to their relative forum sections (you can find them by using the search feature in the main menu) and the rest were packaged up to include in and create the awesome products we sell in the store to help offset the cost of running VAF and paying for the server.

__________________

Giving this a BUMP because it's critical to business stability and I'm STILL hearing 'poor me' stories from contractors who didn't get paid and didn't have contracts in place so there's NO accountability.

__________________

Yes I use a contract with EVERY client.

I think that having contracts not only helps cover the scope of the services you are providing. They also help you if any legal issues come up. I have a friend who is a lawyer and she recommends having everything in writing and signed by all parties involved to protect everyone. Also, in my opinion, having a contract makes you appear more professional.

__________________
Jenny Witte, Virtual Assistant and Graphic Designer
http://www.JenniferWitte.com

Starting out I mostly used Upwork, so it wasn't necessary. But even after I slowed down there, I didn't use a contract with my first couple of clients. Thankfully they weren't jerks and didn't disappear and never pay me. But I've started mandating a signed contract with my recent clients. I'm also in the process of reviewing existing agreements and modifying them and writing up new contracts. You can never be too careful.

__________________
Aiyana Holton
Aiyana Holton Virtual Assistance http://www.aiyanaholton.com/