When you work with a virtual assistant (VA), it is essential to treat it as a very important business deal and not casually. You wouldn’t work with most people without the most important document you can have in the business world: a contract.
Many people make the mistake of not getting a contract first because they feel like it is a lot of work. But it will be much more complicated if you do not get a contract.
This is what a contract entails:
Make a note of the offer
List everything that both parties to the agreement offer.
Spell the terms
Express how much money will change hands and how it will happen, such as the monthly fee and how it will be paid, such as through PayPal.
Contact information list
Be sure to include primary and alternate contact information, such as company name and address, work phone and company phone number, as well as relevant email addresses.
State expectations
Be sure to list all the expectations and responsibilities for each business involved. For example, the VA must finish the work before the xyz date, after the business owner has given it the work before the xyz date.
Mention the consequences
It is always a good idea to mention the consequences of not following the contract, such as whether or not you both agree to arbitration and what country, state, city and county laws will apply.
Sign the contract
Use something like HelloSign.com to sign the documents and make them legally binding. It is very important that contracts are signed in a legally binding manner.
These things are important because:
Without a contract, you have no legal capacity
It’s true that sometimes a judge will impose a handshake and emails if they have enough compelling evidence to back up their claims, but a signed contract is ironclad.
Solidify business relationships
It’s good to keep your professional and business life as separate as possible, and the best way to do this is through a contract. You will likely get closer to your VA over time, but the contract will help both of you stay on track.
Contracts do not have to be complicated, but they must be very specific and include all the eventualities that you may consider within the contract. Include prices, extras and more. The more you put in, the better.