How do I know if this particular licensing agreement is fair? How do I know if signing it is a good long-term move for my business? It’s a question I hear a lot. And the truth is, if you’ve never signed a licensing agreement before, there are a ton of nuances and the whole process […]
Contracts
Contracts really make you the kindest business owner around. This post collection will help you understand what contracts are and how to read and write contracts!
What is contract boilerplate? (And what does it mean?)
Have you heard of the term contract boilerplate? Even if you haven’t, it’s included in almost every contract. So you are familiar with it, even if you don’t know exactly what it is. When I first started practicing law, I read The Sense of Style by Stephen Pinker*, which is part style guide, part how […]
What a contract is and why it’s important to ask friends for one
It can be stressful to think about having a contract with a friend. Here’s an email you can use to start the conversation.
What you need to know before signing an art licensing agreement
Art licensing can be a profitable revenue stream. But before you sign, read this to understand what your art licensing agreement contains.
Proposal vs Contract: What’s the difference and which should you send?
Are you unsure if you should send your client a proposal or a contract? Contracts and proposals have very different purposes, by the end of this, you’ll know when you should send each.
Are there any legal requirements for a pen name?
Do you know the difference between a true and brand pen name? You should because a brand pen name comes with legal requirements.
How do I keep my copyright when illustrating a children’s book?
Congrats! You’ve been approached to illustrate a book. But now you start to worry about copyrights. How do you keep them? How might you lose them? Learn the three ways you could lose them in this Ask Kiff episode.
Do I have to give clients a formal written contract?
The reason that most creatives hate contracts is that many contracts are 20-pages long and stuffed with legal jargon. But did you know that your contract doesn’t have to look like that to be valid? Watch this video to learn what is required for a contract to be valid.
Are non-compete clauses enforceable?
Almost every creative business owner will sign a contract they later regret. But how can you limit your chances of this happening? Watch this video to learn!
I have shop policies, but do I need terms of service?
Do you have online shop policies? That’s a great first step to establishing expectations with your customers. But…when something goes wrong, your shop policies likely won’t help. (Because they aren’t enforceable.) In this week’s Ask Kiff episode I share why you need both online shop policies and terms of service. (And don’t forget to leave […]
What you should use instead of a contract template for your creative biz
the artist’s Courtyard Resource Create a Contract Course Get access to a course designed to help you finally ditch the annoting, selfish clients. By creating a contract that you (and your clients) love. Get the course When you start a relationship you are both thrilled and excited to work together. You are imagining the possibilities […]
How to reduce back and forth by switching your contract format
the artist’s Courtyard Resource Create a Contract Course Get access to a course designed to help you finally ditch the annoying, selfish clients. By creating a contract that you (and your clients) love. Get the course When I was in law school, I worked at a small firm. And I was lucky enough that they […]