I know that what I am about to say seems obvious, but you have no idea how many times I have seen this simple business detail trip people up. No matter what industry you are in, no matter what service you offer, if you are going to enter into a business agreement, then get it in writing. I can not stress this enough. Get a clear and thoroughly detailed contract or statement of work (SOW). Do this for every project, every time! If you get married, you get it in writing. If you rent an apartment, you get it in writing. If you have your bathroom redone, you get it in writing. Why? Because it protects both parties, yes, both parties. The renter’s agreement I signed means that my landlord knows when and how much he’ll get paid, and I know that I won’t be evicted without cause or have my rent change without warning. Both sides are protected. Simple, right?
So why is it that so few people get things in writing when they have web work done? What about the web seems to make otherwise cautious people become inherently trusting? I don’t know, but whatever it is I’ve made the mistake of doing work both without a contract and with a vague SOW. What happened? One business that shall remain nameless got a nice full featured websites for free, another got way more than was originally discussed, and in both cases I got screwed.
What should you get in writing?
- The total cost of the project
- Terms of payment
- Complete project specifications (list every detail no matter how trivial)
- Deadlines for both parties
- Names of all decision makers (chain of command is your friend)
- Signatures of all relevant parties.
What should you do before signing an agreement?
- Don’t assume anything.
- Make sure you clearly understand what’s written. If something is missing, doesn’t seem right, or seems confusing insist upon a clarification. (This might have helped Billy Joel)
- Don’t ever let anybody pressure you into signing something before you have had a chance to review to your satisfaction. (This might have helped Tom Petty)
- Trust your gut and pay attention to red flags.
Remember, it’s your money, trust, reputation, and time. You deserve to know what you are committing to, and you deserve to be protected.
In summary:
- Get it in writing
- Always
- Every time
All the best,
John
