FreeA simple agreement + an invoice toolAbout 40 min
Get Terms in Writing and Get Paid
A written agreement says what you will do and what the client will pay. An invoice is how the money shows up. Both should be short enough to read in five minutes.
Why This Matters
The worst mistake is starting work on a handshake. Then a client disputes the scope, goes quiet on a bill, or says they never asked for it. A page of plain terms stops most of that.
✓ How To Do It
- Start with your offer page from the offer lesson. The agreement repeats it, so the two documents never disagree.
- Add the names. Write the client's legal business name and yours, plus the date and the start date.
- Add scope in a short list. Say what is in and what is out. Anything not on the list is a new quote.
- Add the money terms. State the amount, the due date, the late fee if you charge one, and what happens if a payment fails.
- Add who owns what. The client owns their domain, their profiles and their content. You own your tools and your process.
- Add how either side ends it, with a notice period in days.
- Have a lawyer in your state look at the page once. Terms differ by state, and this course cannot give legal advice.
- Use an e-sign tool and keep the signed copy in a shared folder named for the client. A VA should be able to find it in under a minute.
- Send the first invoice the day work starts. Include a clear description, the amount, the due date and how to pay. Send it from a tool that shows when it was opened.
- Set a reminder for the day after the due date. Send one polite note, then call the owner. Most late bills are just forgotten.
Done WhenA signed agreement and a sent first invoice are saved in the client folder with the dates visible.
Tips & Pitfalls
- Never start work on a new client before the first payment clears.
- Keep invoices numbered in order. Gaps in numbers cause questions at tax time.
- Use the same wording on the agreement and in emails. Mixed words create arguments.