When you're building an online business, there are so many things to juggle: marketing, content, branding, client work, the list goes on. And so often I see that legal protection falls to the bottom of that list.
And while I can totally understand that the legal aspects of things can feel overwhelming and confusing, that doesn’t mean that it should be something you ignore.
Failing to implement the right legal protections for your business can land you in a lotttt of trouble down the road, which is why everything I do at The Boutique Lawyer is aimed to help the legal things feel a little less confusing and a lot more doable.
Through my contract templates, free resources, The Legalzine, and of course my blogs (glad you’re here!), my goal is to truly provide you with almost everything you need to protect your business from a legal standpoint in a way that feels accessible and maybe even… fun?!
In this blog post specifically, you’ll learn about the one small but mighty contract that deserves a spot at the top of your legal to-do list: a disclaimer.
Disclaimers are a simple way to limit your liability and protect yourself when you’re sharing advice, information, or results as a business owner. They're not just for giant corporations or complicated industries. If you’re sharing content or selling offers online, a disclaimer is probably something you need.
To help you understand WHY a disclaimer is needed, I’ll be walking you through 5 common real-world scenarios where a disclaimer can save you from a legal headache AND share how to make sure you’re covered.
5 Real-world Business Scenarios Where a Disclaimer Can Save Your Ass(ets)
1. You're a coach or mentor sharing income results
Let me guess… as a coach or mentor in the online business space, you’ve helped your clients grow their businesses and experience insane results, so naturally you want to share those wins!
SO, let’s say you post testimonials on your sales page like, “Sarah hit her first $10k week after taking my program.”
GO SARAH AND GO YOU FOR HELPING HER 👏🏼
This is an awesome win and of course it’s something that you want to share for other potential clients to see so they can understand what could be possible for them when they choose to work for you.
But here’s the thing… while this win might be true for your client Sarah, you’re opening yourself up to liability if you don’t make it crystal clear that this result is not guaranteed for everyone.
➡️ How a disclaimer can help in this scenario: income claims can be considered misleading, even when they’re true, if you don’t provide proper context.
In this case, an Earnings Disclaimer helps clarify that the results shown are not typical, and that individual results may vary based on many factors!
2. You run a wellness or lifestyle blog sharing tips
Let’s say you’re a wellness guru and you’ve created a business from your blog where you share about nutrition, fitness, or natural remedies. With that, you also include journal prompts, self-care routines, or mindfulness practices.
These posts are helpful and inspiring and your audience LOVES the content you share and oftentimes after putting those things into practice, you’ll get messages like, “OMG I tried that new meal plan you shared and I lost 5 pounds in 2 weeks.”
There’s nothing wrong with the content you share and your audience can absolutely experience results like this, but without a disclaimer, someone could interpret your tips as professional advice.
➡️ How a disclaimer can help in this scenario: If a reader follows your suggestions and experiences an unexpected reaction or claims harm, you could be held liable.
A Health and Wellness Website Disclaimer makes it clear that your content is for informational purposes only and not meant to replace professional advice.
3. You’re a business or marketing strategist sharing tactics
Hey marketing girlies… this one’s for you!
You have a passion and have created a business around helping people grow their brand or boost their visibility. Through your work, you share different tactics for growing a social media following, growing email subscribers, or even ways to gain more clients.
Nothing wrong with that! People love you for it. After following your tips, people might share how they gained 500 new email subscribers in just one week from doing XYZ.
Helllloooo social proof. This is information that you want to share so that your audience knows that what you’re doing WORKS. But remember…
➡️ How a disclaimer can help in this scenario: Even with the best intentions, not every strategy will work the same for everyone. If someone follows your advice and doesn’t get the same result – or worse, feels misled – you could be blamed for their disappointment or financial loss.
In this instance, an Earnings Disclaimer or General Disclaimer helps set clear expectations and protect your intellectual property and your reputation.
4. You sell templates, courses, or other digital products
Next up, maybe you sell templates (like me!), online courses, or other digital resources that are designed to help your customers get results. You believe in the value of what you offer, but there’s always the risk that someone doesn’t use the tools as intended, or doesn’t get the outcome they expected.
For example, someone might buy a contract template and forget to customize it properly or they might use a business strategy course without fully implementing the steps.
When this happens, they can feel like you as the educator are at fault for them not experiencing the results that you’ve talked about others experiencing before.
➡️ How a disclaimer can help in this scenario: Disclaimers remind users that your materials are intended to educate or guide, NOT guarantee specific results. They also reinforce that success depends on how the buyer applies the material.
This is why it’s best to include a General Disclaimer anywhere you sell or distribute educational digital products so that you won’t be held at fault in these instances!
(P.S. While a General Disclaimer is a really good place to start, if you sell digital products, there’s a few other contracts I highly recommend you implement as well!)
5. You speak on podcasts, do guest trainings, or post on social media
As a business owner, it’s super common to speak on podcasts, do guest trainings inside courses or memberships, and of course post on social media to market your business.
Through all of these avenues, you share your story and expertise to help others, but through all of this, it can be easy to forget that you are responsible for how your words are interpreted by those following or listening to you.
For example, if you offer a quick productivity tip on Instagram and someone applies it in a way that negatively impacts their business or health, they could claim harm based on your advice, even if that wasn't your intention.
➡️ How a disclaimer can help in this scenario: it's easy for people to take your content out of context, especially in short-form content. A disclaimer allows you to protect yourself from people assuming your content is a substitute for professional, financial, medical, or legal advice.
A short version of your General Disclaimer can be included in your podcast intro, show notes, at the top of your blog post, or even in your Instagram story to help prevent this from happening!
The Most Simple Disclaimer Template for Online Business Owners
Can’t you see how disclaimers are more than just a legal safety net that’s a “nice to have?” They’re truly a way to run your business with integrity and transparency and help you educate and inspire while protecting your hard work from unnecessary risk!
My hope is that through these very realistic scenarios, you’re sold on implementing a disclaimer in your business ASAP. And lucky for you, it doesn't have to be complicated.
With TBL’s General Disclaimer Template and Earnings Disclaimer Template you can add a disclaimer to your business as soon as today so you can be fully confident that your business stays protected and compliant!
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If you like what you just read and want more cool lawyer things in your life, here’s a few ways to stay connected:
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And if you’re in need of legal resources that you can ACTUALLY understand? Here’s a few ways I can help:
Step into TBL’s free library of legal resources for creative entrepreneurs where we throw open the doors and spill the tea on what works and what doesn't when it comes to legal protection, systems and sales.
Browse the contract template shop to find what’s missing in your biz and easily implement it with a plug and play template!
Need something else? Send me a DM! Always happy to lend a legal hand when I can.