Business proposals are important sales documents that are necessary in today's sales processes. A business proposal is basically a promise by you (freelancer/agency/business) to do certain work or deliver a product to a client. That's the key word here - promise. But what stops you or the client from not doing what you promised in the proposal? The answer is simple - terms and conditions.
This important part of a business proposal is not just something nice to have. It's something you need to keep everyone protected. Keep reading to learn more about why it matters.
What are terms and conditions?
In any business deal, the section called "terms and conditions" explains the legal part of the agreement. In simple words, it tells everyone involved how the product or service will be delivered. It also explains who is responsible for what, and what happens if the business doesn't deliver on their promise or if the client doesn't do their part.
The main purpose of terms and conditions is to give legal protection to your business proposal. It makes sure that if something goes wrong, everyone is protected. This is a section that many people skip, like when you install new software. But it's the most important section when things don't go as planned.
Do I need a terms and conditions section in my business proposals?
Yes, you definitely need one. Even if you think you don't need to protect yourself, it's still a necessary part of every proposal. Think of it like insurance - you hope you never need it, but it's good to have.
A potential client will feel much safer signing your proposal when they know they have some protection if things go wrong. If they're thinking about whether to sign or not, a good terms and conditions section could be the thing that pushes them to say yes and sign right away.
What does a terms and conditions section talk about?
This part of your business proposal covers the most important details about the work or product you're delivering. Here are some things that can be included:
Price and payment: how much the client pays, when they need to pay, and under what conditions.
Cancellations: what happens if either you or the client decides not to continue with the project.
Privacy: what you do with the client's information while you're working and after the work is done.
Intellectual property: who owns the rights to the materials, designs, or ideas that you use or create.
Delay fees: what happens if you can't finish by the deadline mentioned in the proposal.
Kill fees: what happens if either you or the client stops the project completely and who has to pay for it.
Use simple words that everyone understands
Legal language can be confusing and full of words that regular people don't understand. Sometimes there are special terms about copyright and laws that you don't have to explain.
But you should explain the words and terms that are specific to your business and that might confuse your clients. For example, explain what a "content strategy" means, what "website redesign" includes, what "event planning" covers, etc.
These might be common words to you, but when you use them in your terms and conditions, your clients will know exactly what you mean. The more specific and simple your explanations are, the fewer questions you'll get and the easier it will be to handle any problems if they come up.
How do I add terms and conditions to my business proposals?
There are a few ways to do this. If you want to do it the old way, you can download a template from the internet and add it to your PDF or Word document. There are many websites where you can find templates. Just copy and paste it and you're done.
You can also use a terms and conditions generator tool. These are online tools and they don't cost much - usually between 5 to 20 dollars. But the problem is they're web pages, so you have to put them into your proposals, which can be difficult if you only use PDF or Word documents.
With Wonit, adding terms and conditions to your proposals is super easy. You can use our simple drag-and-drop editor to add T&C sections to your proposals without needing to know design or code. You can also download your proposals as PDF or HTML, which makes it easy to include your terms and conditions in any format your clients want.
Do I need to hire a lawyer?
It depends on your situation. If you're really worried that something could go very wrong, or if the client wants a lawyer to create the terms and conditions, then go ahead and hire one. A good lawyer will cost you a lot of money though. So only hire one if you really need it to close a big deal.
For most situations, a basic terms and conditions section will protect you in about 95% of cases. In normal business situations, it's enough to give both you and your client peace of mind. You don't need a lawyer for this in most cases.
But remember - no template can replace a real terms and conditions section that's written by a real lawyer.
Conclusion
A terms and conditions section is a must-have for every business proposal. It protects both you and your client, and it makes you look more professional. With Wonit, creating proposals with complete terms and conditions is simple and quick. No expensive lawyers, no complicated tools - just drag-and-drop ease and AI-powered help to write your content.
Ready to turn weeks of proposal work into minutes? Get early access to Wonit today and start building stunning proposals with built-in terms and conditions, AI-powered content, and everything you need to close deals faster.