Getting Legit in Your Biz IS AWESOME

I know that sometimes (okay, a lot of times) that getting legit in your business can feel…

Overwhelming.

Scary.

Expensive.

But doesn’t have to be!  What if getting legit in your business could...

Make you feel powerful.

Put money in the bank.

Give you freedom.

Show love.

It can!

Let’s start with owning your power.  What makes you feel POWERFUL in your business?  For me it’s having the right systems and structures in place so that I can truly act (and FEEL) like a CEO.  This means my website is up to date, my mailers go out weekly, accounts are up to date, I respond to emails in reasonable time, and my policies, contracts, and overall biz is legit (surprise surprise!)

I’ve had many people tell me even prior to working with me, perhaps just after a chat but on their way to paying for a website collection or contract “I feel more empowered just talking to you and knowing I’m getting this ALL straight - I’ve been worrying about it forever.”

There are a few reasons getting your legal ducks in a row can sometimes be the last stop on the CEO train - Money! Time! Lawyers are scary! I don’t know what to do first!  

But let me tell you, the quicker you get to that stop, the faster your biz and mindset will take off.  Similar to hiring your first VA or pushing LIVE on your website, getting your contracts and website and programs protected makes you feel like you are in control and THAT is power!

And what else?  

Getting Legit = More Money in the Bank

How one signature saved this coach!  And when I say *this* coach, I mean I’ve heard 53 versions of this story and I’m sure you have too!  

A business coach recently told a story about kind of a nightmare client.  After 3 sessions in a 12 session/3-month program, this client missed one and it was days before the coach heard back - after a confrontation, things went downhill and the client asked for a full refund (after having paid in full for a multi-thousand dollar package) and threatened legal action.  

The coach was devastated and although she tried to work it out, the client wouldn’t budge.

Luckily, this coach had a solid (& signed) contract in place.  In a service-based business, whether coaching, design, consulting, etc., you are always dealing with PEOPLE and people have issues.  

Because of this contract, this coach has the legal right to keep her FULL payment.  Now, in the end, she chose to give a partial refund because of the emotions involved in such a situation - but the point is - she had a solid contract and options on how to deal with a messy situation.

Just having that OPTION is basically priceless because again, it puts YOU in the drivers seat on how you want to proceed!

If she didn’t have this contract in place she would have lost money.  She would have likely had to refund the money or this client may have run to her merchant or credit card and made a big STINK.  And then you’d be refunding money you’ve already rendered services for!

Getting Legit = Freedom

Ah Freedom. The freedom to work from anywhere, the time to go for a run at 11am, the ability to do what we want - when we want.  We are all at various stages of this thing called BUSINESS but I think for most of us, that is one of the ultimate goals.

Here are a few ways that getting legal & legit early in your biz can save you time!

-enables you to put a big CHECK on that box and clear your mental space for other important things

-allows you to send potential clients to your policies or contracts if they have questions instead of you having to address everything

-gives you the freedom to enter into business relationships fully confident in who you are and WHAT you are doing

Getting Legit = Serious Love for Your Business (and YOU)

Getting legally legit is just part of loving your business. I know, sounds weird, but think about it.  

You don’t love going to the dentist (well, most of us don’t) but we love our teeth and what they do for us, so every 6 months we fork over some cash and get those babies cleaned up!  If not, well...at some point we’d be spending a painful few days and a many many thousands in a dental chair.   

The same with legal! Part of keeping your business healthy and protecting what your business does for you (providing a service to your clients, providing INCOME to you) is making sure you have all the legal pieces in place.  If you are just starting out this means:

-1:1 client agreement

-privacy policy

-website terms & disclaimers

That’s IT!  It doesn’t have to be super complicated. Once you start with group programs, courses, or memberships you do need more contracts in place but at the beginning, this is IT!