The Contract Shop Review: Why You Don’t Need a Custom Contract
Ever thought to yourself, “How can I get an affordable, legal contract for my VA business?” You need a contract template, my friend. I’m giving you my full, unfiltered Contract Shop Review.
Contracts as a small business owner are nerve-wracking! It’s hard to figure out what to include, how to protect yourself and whether you missed something or not.
That’s why it’s critical that you have a rock-solid contract agreement in place with all your clients as a Virtual Assistant!
The comforting part about all of this is that you don’t have to spend thousands of dollars on a fancy, custom contract. You just need a high-quality contract template.
That’s where The Contract Shop comes in.
We’re diving into the in’s and out’s of how contract templates work and why they are such a great option for Virtual Assistants.
Ready for a lawyer-approved Virtual Assistant Contract Template?
Custom Contracts vs. Contract Templates
Before we dive into my thoughts on The Contract Shop specifically, I want to talk a bit about the differences between Custom Contracts and Contract Templates.
I know that when you’re just starting to dip your toe into legal-land, it can get a little confusing.
Custom Contracts
Custom contracts are generally created as a one-off project between you and a lawyer. You can hire an attorney to draft up a secure agreement based on the protections you need for your given business structure. This is a huge benefit of custom contracts as they are so unique to you and how you operate.
However, this process can add up quickly to be a 4-figure+ investment and they generally require a time investment from you as the business owner. You have to dedicate time to researching and hiring a lawyer, sharing your business details with them and going through revisions and consults with your attorney to finalize the document.
Contract Templates
Contract templates come directly from a licensed attorney, but are not created specifically for you and your business.
Instead, the attorney writes a contract that is framed around a specific industry or job role and the most important protections that the given business owner needs. So although the agreement isn’t for just you, it is created with your industry in mind.
So all the most common protections that you need will be included.
The attorney sells the contract template on a mass-level to all the small business owners that need it. Then, each business owner can make small (guided!) tweaks to it to make it perfect for their business.
Contract templates generally come with an investment between $300-$500 dollars.
Benefits of Contract Templates
There’s definitely pros and cons to both custom contracts and contract templates. I’m not going to argue that!
However, I believe that contract templates are just a more reasonable and affordable path to gaining access to a lawyer-approved contract for Online Service Providers.
Not only are contract templates updated on a regular basis as laws and regulations change, they are written with your business in mind – Without the fancy custom price tag.
You see, most attorneys that sell downloadable contract templates have a deeper understanding of your business and the unique challenges you face than a local attorney ever will. They take the time to understand the industry they are writing a contract for before they write it.
So although the contract isn’t for you specifically, it’s meant for your business. Which is a huge benefit!
Plus, you can rest assured knowing the contract template you purchase has been tested by others in your niche. This ensures that any holes in the protections have been found and filled by the time you use it! 😉
Last but not least, they also be purchased, implemented and sent to a client for signing within a few hours. So there’s no waiting around for your contract to be finished in order to start booking clients.
You can get out there and sell your services today knowing that you and your business is protected.
The Contract Shop: My Favorite Contract Template Company
From the time that I was a Wee-Virtual-Assistant-Lad, I always loved The Contract Shop.
I was originally introduced to The Contract Shop through Jenna Kutcher’s Goal Digger podcast and immediately fell in love with the brand.
Christina Scalera, the attorney and founder, has a way of making the headache that is business legal stuff fun and easy to understand. She has created a library of downloadable contracts that are customized to solopreneurs in various creative industries.
The Contract Shop offers a range of templates that are specific to creative niches including: Photography, Coaching, Design, Blogging, and more.
These are way more intentional and secure than the random, generic contract template you found online that has nothing to do with your services.
I said what I said. 😉
My Experience with The Contract Shop
I’m planning to launch a new service offering for our clients this year, so I recently needed a new template that worked with my new (and very different) service structure.
I am happy to report that I am impressed all over again with my experience from The Contract Shop!
What to expect after purchasing a new contract template from TCS
After checking out their online shop, I found the template that fit my needs pretty easily!
Christina does a great job at explaining on each product page who the template can work for, why you would need it and how you would use it in your biz. So you can feel confident that you’re getting what you need!
Worst case, they also offer a money-back guarantee if you find that you bought the wrong one. 😉
You’re then instantly emailed a link to download and edit your new contract!
There are detailed, easy to understand instructions included with how to edit and tweak the template to your business! You’re even sent a full library of video lessons teaching you how to make the changes and what platforms to use to email the final version to your clients.
So even if you’re nervous about it, you’ll feel like Christina is there holding your hand through the entire process.
I understood every sentence in the agreement, which was super important to me. You never know when a client is going to ask you what that random clause is halfway down the page – and it’s your responsibility as the service provider to be able to explain it to them.
The Contract Shop came through on that one and didn’t leave me hanging in legalese.
Once I polished off the policies for my specific business, I copied it into my Client Relationship Management Platform, Dubsado, and I was ready to go!
When I say that it took me less than an hour from landing on their website to being able to send my contract to my client – I’m not joking.
Other Benefits of being a Customer of The Contract SHop
The Contract Shop facilitates something that they call the K-Club Membership!
This is an internal portal saved exclusively for customers of The Contract Shop. They can all network and share their businesses with one another. Although this isn’t something I dove into too much myself, I can see it being super valuable for newbie VAs who are looking to build connections online.
Last but not least, The Contract Shop team sends you several emails after your purchase to make sure your new contract is working for you. They make it clear that they want you to feel confident with your new contract and ask for feedback.
I really appreciated these extra touches of support along the way! It shows that they are really serious about providing an awesome experience for their community and customers.
My Favorite Templates from The Contract Shop
So, what templates should you be considering from The Contract Shop as an Online Service Provider?
Here’s a few of my favorites that I think Virtual Assistants and Freelancers will find valuable:
- VIP Day
- Website Design
- Coaching
- Independent Contractor (Virtual Assistant)
- Online Business Manager
- Social Media Manager
Should You Buy a Contract Template?
Honestly, I think contact templates are the way to go for Virtual Assistants.
I still haven’t found a need to invest in a custom contract after utilizing The Contract Shop’s templates, even 4 years into working full-time as an Online Service Provider and Coach.
You can feel confident that although a contract template is an investment up front, it’ll pay itself back to you over and over again as you use it for years to come.
You get all the benefits of having a lawyer’s eyes on your contract without the price-tag. What can I say? I’m all about a good deal.
Affiliate disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. I make a small commission when you purchase through these links. I only recommend products that I’ve used and loved. All opinions shared are 100% my own.
I am not a lawyer and nothing on this website should be taken as legal advice.