When you start a relationship you are both thrilled and excited to work together. You are imagining the possibilities and what might come out of your partnership.

And when everything is hunky dory and exciting, the last thing you want to do is sit down and create a contract.

But that’s the best thing you can do to assure the long-term success of your relationship.

It’s not because the other person is going to screw you over. Because the fact is that 99% of people intend to uphold their end of the deal.

Sure, contracts enforce deals with things go wrong.

But the real power of a contract is preventing the deal from going wrong in the first place.

And that’s because the real reason you enter into a contract is to prevent misunderstandings.

But I’m also going to say another thing that’s going to surprise you.

The worst way to create your contract is opening up a Google search, searching contract template, and using what you find.

The second worst way is by cutting and pasting several templates together.

Why do I not like these methods?

Will the form contract introduce misunderstandings?

The first reason goes back to our original goal: to prevent misunderstandings.

When you use a contract with a bunch of legal jargon in it that you don’t 100% understand, you can’t explain it to your client. Or your 80% understanding doesn’t line up with her 100% understanding.

Which means that you’ve introduced another way for the two of you to be on different pages.

No bueno.

Is the form contract right for your business?

The second reason has to do with how contract templates are written.

You have to write these contracts to cover the majority of likely scenarios. Which means they might have clauses that are totally inapplicable to the way you work. Or because of how you work might be missing a huge piece.

Templates try to cover writers, illustrators, graphic designers, web designers, and everyone else. And so they walk the line between covering all and none.

It’s like the old saying when something tries to be right for everyone, it’s right for no one.

If you can’t or don’t want to shell out the cash to have a lawyer draft a template contract that you can use. Then what I’d prefer is that you draft the contract yourself.

Contracts don’t have to be long, full of legalese or printed on fancy paper to be legal. To have a valid contract, you only need three things:

• one person offers something
• the other person accepts that offer
• you exchange what you agreed upon

So sit down with a sketchbook and think about the process from start to finish. And the places where misunderstandings generally crop up.

(Hint: think about the scope of work, money, and who owns what is created.)

Once you’ve got some ideas, write something down. Give it the grandma test,

Would my grandma understand what I’m saying?

If she wouldn’t understand something then make sure you can explain what it means and why it’s important. And that you are confident in your answer.

And if you want a little guidance, then join me this Friday!

For a virtual master workshop all about how you can create easier relationships with your clients.

Join the artist’s Courtyard Guide-level members and me as we discuss:

• How to change your mindset around contracts so you can spend more time creating, not managing your clients
• Why boundaries are actually a kindness you give to your clients that increase trust, not a power play
• What you need to do to hand over your contract in a way that excites your clients, rather than sparking dread
• How your contract will actually help you attract your dream clients, rather than those that sap your energy

Get access to the master workshop for free

By the end of the day, you’ll have a contract that you’ve customized to work for you. Because your business isn’t the same as everyone else’s and your contract doesn’t have to look like everyone else’s.

Have you used a form contract service? Do you agree with me? Share your thoughts in the comments.