If you wear multiple hats in your business, chances are you’re juggling a lot – launch planning, client projects, digital product updates, maybe even prepping for holiday sales.
With all of those things going on in your business, there’s no doubt your to-do list for each project is FULL. But I’d be curious to know if one of those to-do list items includes THE most important thing that will keep your business protected for the long haul…
You know, legal protection.
For creative business owners, so often contracts and policies can feel like “boring paperwork.” But the reality is that those “boring clauses” are what directly keep your revenue safe, your time respected, and your hard work from getting ripped off.
As we head into Q4 – the busiest season for most creative entrepreneurs – it’s the perfect time to get your legal ducks in a row!
So in case you’ve been leaving off the “legal protection” to-do item from your list, I’m making it super simple for you by breaking down the 7 legal documents every multi-hyphenate business owner needs before the year wraps up.
Think of this as your Q4 legal checklist, designed to give you peace of mind so you can focus on growing and selling, NOT stressing!
7 Legal Agreements Every Creative Business Owner Needs
Client & Service Agreements 👩💻
If you work 1:1 with clients, whether through coaching, design, or consulting, you need a strong client agreement in place. And no, a document like this isn’t just about making things “official.”
A well-drafted client contract outlines:
- Scope of work (so clients don’t slip in extra tasks)
- Payment terms (so you actually get paid on time)
- Termination clauses (so you’re not stuck if things go south)
- Refund/cancellation policies (so boundaries are clear)
But here’s what I want you to know: not every client or service agreement is created equal. You need one that’s tailored to your specific offer!
So yes, that means if you have multiple offers, then you often need multiple client contracts.
Here’s a few of the most common ones for online business owners:
👉 1:1 Coaching Agreement
👉 Group Program Agreement
👉 Creative Services Agreement
All of these PLUS wayyy more are included in the Chief Legal Officer Suite, so you don’t have to buy everything separately. Instead, you can grab the ultimate contract bundle for online business owners and trust that you have everything you need to keep your business legally protected in all categories!
Digital Product Terms of Purchase 📥
If you’re selling a course, template, or membership spots in Q4, then having an airtight Terms of Purchase is non-negotiable.
Unlike physical goods, digital products can’t be “returned,” but unfortunately customers don’t always understand that and will sometimes (read: a lot of times 🙃) ask anyways.
Instead of having to navigate that tricky conversation, your Terms of Purchase can do the heavy lifting for you by clearly explaining:
- No-refund policies (common with instant-download items)
- Access terms (how long they keep the product)
- Intellectual property protections (so they don’t resell your work)
This is truly your #1 defense against chargebacks, disputes, and people trying to take advantage of your offers!
(P.S. A Terms of Purchase for Digital Goods is DIFFERENT than a Terms of Purchase for Physical Goods – if you sell physical products, this one’s for you!)
Website Policies 🌐
If you have a website (which if you’re running your business online then I’m pretttyyyy sure you do), you’re required by law in many places to post certain policies.
At minimum, you should have:
👉 Privacy Policy (required if you collect any personal data, like emails, payments, etc.)
👉 Cookie Policy/Consent (especially if you have EU traffic)
👉 Website Terms of Use (the “house rules” for your site)
Think of these as the digital equivalent of locking your storefront door at night – they protect you from liability and keep you compliant!
If you’ve yet to implement any of these legal agreements, I’m begging you to put these at the top of your list for Q4! And I’ve made it easy for you by creating the templates you need to get the job done.
They’re easily customizable and come with step-by-step implementation instructions, so truly all you have to do is click a few buttons and voila!
And the best part is that you don’t have to make multiple purchases to get all of these legal agreements for your business – with the Chief Legal Officer Suite, you get all of these (plus some!) so that you truly have EVERYTHING you need to protect your website and avoid hefty fines.
Disclaimers ⚖️
If you’re a coach, health and wellness pro, or education, listen up! Some industries have to take an extra step of protection to ensure that your clients know that there are certain limits to what you do and that you can’t promise results.
A few examples:
👉 A health coach sharing general wellness tips without diagnosing conditions
👉 A financial educator teaching money management without giving individualized investment advice
👉 A business coach offering strategy guidance without guaranteeing results
👉 A nutritionist providing recipe ideas without prescribing medical diets
👉 A contract template shop selling legal contracts without giving personalized legal advice (oh heyyy, it’s me!)
All of these are examples of industries that need to go the extra mile by implementing a proper disclaimer on their website, in their Terms of Purchase, and anywhere else you deem necessary so that your audience is extremely informed!
Click here to browse the disclaimer templates from The Boutique Lawyer.
Affiliate & Marketing Agreements 📣
As your business grows, you might add an affiliate program or other types of partnerships so that others can help promote your offers!
And again, while this can be a great strategy to help ease some of the marketing off of your plate, adding things of this nature brings another layer of legal protection that you don’t want to overlook.
Generally speaking, if you’re adding things of this nature to your business, you’ll need:
👉 Influencer Agreement
👉 Affiliate Agreement
👉 Testimonial and UGC Release Forms
👉 Affiliate Marketing Compliance Checklist
All of these will help keep your collaborations clean, transparent, and legally binding!
If you know you need one or more of these, grabbing the Chief Legal Officer Suite is your best deal. It comes with all of the above PLUS an additional 40+ contract templates that cover the most essential areas of your business.
Media & Community Agreements 🎙️
Where are my podcasters at? Or those who run a membership or other type of group community? If that’s you, then yes… you also need specific contracts for each of those things.
👉 Podcast Guest Release (so you can repurpose content without drama)
👉 Membership Terms & Conditions (so your community has clear guidelines)
👉 Community Conduct Guidelines (so you can remove toxic members if needed) *Note: this is typically just a clause in your membership or group program terms!
These agreements protect your platform’s reputation and make sure your community stays aligned with your values!
Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) 🔒
Last but not least, if you’re working with collaborators, contractors, or even brainstorming with potential partners, an NDA is your best friend. It sets the tone that your ideas, systems, and strategies are confidential and ensures the people you work with treat them that way.
The Ultimate Legal Contract Bundle for Creative Business Owners
After reading that, I know what you might be thinking, “phew that seems like a LOT!” And honestly, you’re right. In order to truly legally protect your business from top to bottom, you do need a lot of different contracts.
Some can be viewed as “nice-to-have,” but the majority of them are real requirements. And I can promise you that ALL of them will save you so much time, energy, and stress if you ever do find yourself in a legal battle. It’s always better to have your rules in writing so you have something to fall back on when or if the time comes.
But as an online business owner myself, I know how challenging and overwhelming it can be to make sure you have all the right things in place for your business, all the while trying to do everything else on your to-do list – like market your offers, create new launch campaigns, show up on social media, the list goes on.
Which is why I decided to create the ULTIMATE legal contract bundle for creative business owners and service providers so you can truly get every single contract you might need in one place.
The Chief Legal Officer Suite consists of 40+ attorney-drafted templates covering everything from client agreements to digital product protections to website compliance. Basically, if you need it, it’s in there. And when new templates drop, they’re automatically yours!
Instead of scrambling every time you launch something new, you’ll have everything ready – one and done. So if you’ve been putting off implementing a legal contract in your business because you weren’t sure exactly what you need and getting everything together felt overwhelming, this is your answer.
CLICK HERE to get yours so you can get your legal ducks in a row in Q4 with absolute ease!
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