Contract Terms
You agreed on the big picture. The details bite you later. Who pays for revisions? What's the timeline? What happens if they pause? Contract terms are the formal agreement between you and a client: scope, timeline, payment, responsibilities. Clear terms prevent scope creep and disputes. They're the legal and operational backbone of the engagement; the scope document is often the heart of what's in and what's out.
Same project, different clarity. Vague: "We'll do the program. Payment on completion." Clear: "Deliverables: 6 sessions, one summary doc, two check-ins. Timeline: 6 weeks from kickoff. Payment: 50% on signing, 50% on delivery. Revisions: one round included; additional sessions are change orders." Contract terms protect both sides. You know what you're delivering; they know what they're getting and when they pay.
Put scope, timeline, payment, and responsibilities in writing. Refer back when "can you also…?" comes up.
What to include
Scope and deliverables. What exactly will the client receive? Tie this to your scope document: one document, one plan, two calls—not "strategy support." The more specific, the easier to enforce when scope creep knocks.
Timeline and milestones. When will you deliver? When do they need to provide input or feedback? If payment is tied to milestones (e.g. 50% on signing, 50% on delivery), the contract should say so. Clear dates reduce "when will this be done?" and payment delays.
Payment and payment terms. Total fee, when it's due, how (invoice, ACH, etc.). Net 15 or net 30. What happens if they're late? Stating this upfront reduces awkwardness and improves cash flow.
Responsibilities and exclusions. What you're not doing ("Ongoing Slack support is not included") and what they need to do ("Client provides feedback within 5 business days"). One round of revisions included; more are change orders. Put it in writing.
What breaks
Terms that are only in your head. "We always do one round of revisions" doesn't help when the client expects three. If it's not in the contract, it's negotiable—and you'll be the one making concessions.
Saying yes to "just one more" without updating terms. The contract only protects you if you use it. When they ask for more, the answer is "that's a change order" or "we can add that under a new agreement." If you keep saying yes and never update the contract, the terms become meaningless.