I don’t remember how I first learned about Laura C George. But I do remember looking at her Twitter picture and thinking, “Dang, that girl can rock the red lipstick!” I’m not really a makeup girl, and so I’m always a little in awe women who effortlessly pull off bold makeup.

But Laura’s talents aren’t limited to rocking the red lipstick. She’s a rockstar at laying down practical, bite-sized chunks of knowledge to artists. She helps hem move from working in a job they hate, to building an artistic business that sustains them.

Laura interviewed me for her upcoming Artistic License course and she shared this story with me. I immediately knew I wanted her to share it with you. So I persuaded her to share how her feelings have changed around presenting a contract to her clients. How she went from fear to ease. After she shares her story, I’ll pop back in and share how you too can make this transition.

Without diving into the nitty gritty, tell us a little about a time you learned the “legal” ropes…

I started out not having contracts with my consulting clients because it seemed like something a more ”official business” would have. When I finally buckled down and hired a lawyer to help me get a nice contract together, I was pretty worried that I would end up in an awkward situation where an artist agreed to work with me — and then when they read the contract decided not to.

Every time I sent my contract out, I cringed. What would I do if they wouldn’t sign? But you know what? They always sign! I have never, in 3 years of using a contract, had a single client not sign. And moreover, I’ve never had a single client ask me what something in the contract meant. They all read through it, understand that it’s meant to keep us both on the same page and safe in case anything weird happens, and sign without a hesitation.

Huzzah, that’s amazing, how did you feel at that moment?

When I realized that I’ve never had anyone question my contract, I lost my fear of getting started with a new client. I can have my cake (a safe and secure business) and eat it too (not have to worry that artists won’t want to work with me because I have legal protocol in place).

When I realized that I’ve never had anyone question my contract, I lost my fear of getting started with a new client.

Did this impact your creative business? How?

You know what? I think my clients actually feel better having a contract in place. Not because they need to feel legally safe (though maybe that too), but because it enables them to look at me like that ”official business” I was so scared to have. It helps them trust me even more.

What ropes did you learn from going through this experience?

I now have several contracts pre-written that I can tweak and use for different situations. Any artist who works with me one-on-one for more than a single session is required to sign a contract.

And in tweaking contracts for a few new situations, I’ve actually become so comfortable with the language in mine that I can create similar contracts without a lawyer now. I know what all the clauses mean and which ones are appropriate for which situations. I also know which key words need to be changed and I’m able to comb through pretty quickly to adjust numbers or dates and other specifics to reflect the needs of my newest client relationship. And the best thing is that I am now able to help my clients develop proper contracts for their commissions, something they are usually averse to.

I’ve actually become so comfortable with the language in mine that I can create similar contracts without a lawyer now.

How can you achieve the same success?

Thanks Laura! As you might know, stories like this warm my heart.

I know that for many of you the process of preparing and presenting a contract is an emotional rollercoaster. It’s a time that brings up feelings of self-doubt, fear, and uneasiness. It’s also a time when your worrywart sidekick rears its ugly head. And your core fear is like Laura’s: that your clients will refuse to work with you because of your contract. But the reality is, this fear is usually unfounded.

Your clients expect you to be the expert, that’s why they are hiring you. So when a contract is a standard part of your client intake process, your clients will gladly oblige. Of course it’s important to know why you are presenting the contract. You’ll explain to them that the contract:

• makes sure you are both on the same page
• establishes roles and responsibilities
• prevents misunderstandings
• pre-determines outcomes if problems crop up

Your contract can also assure your client has reasonable expectations.

• Do you have office hours and only answer emails from 9-5 Monday through Friday? Your contract can state this. And establish the expectation that you won’t respond over the weekend or in the middle of the night.
• Do you only do two rounds of edits? Your contract will spell this out along with the procedure for extra rounds. So when your client wants the third round, you can point to your contract and the additional costs.

Contracts also have a powerful effect on how you perceive your business. Contracts can help you:

• beat back the imposter complex
• maintain a friendship
• sleep at night

So I encourage you to set aside some time and write out a contract for your business. This contract just has to contain two things and doesn’t have to be stuffed with legalese to be valid.

And while those first few times you hand it over will be scary, you’ve just got to rip the band-aid and get it over with. And each time you present your contract you’ll gain a little more confidence. And eventually, like Laura, it’ll just be an easy process that you take with each client.

Have you had the same experience as Laura with presenting a contract to your clients? What tips or tricks do you use to make the process easy? Share your story in the comments.

Want to connect with Laura? She’s got a great video on the art of pricing your art that you can get access to here. Or you can connect with her on Instagram.