OMG = Oh Mi Gosh! OMG! OMG! Like OMG! This guest post is like-well-totally awesome! It’s SO bringin’ out the way-cool 1970s East-coast “valley-girl” twang outta me, with my rockin’ Jordash designer horse-logo jeans, and my feather-clip flying in the wind as I rock n’ ROLL ’round our neighborhood rollerskate hang-out! Girl, I was SO cool then…that reading my very first debut Guest Post below brought out that great spunky feelin’ from my childhood-girlish ways. I feel this shining smirk fill my face for the very first time for over 7-truly grullin’ painful days!

Please, accept my intro, simply as an “intro”, as this is the first of nearly a dozen guest posts to fill EmpowerWomenNow.com during my recovery. I am under high-medical surveillance and on bed-rest for another 1-3 more weeks. Honestly, I’m exhausted by my own excitement right now and, well…I feel these 2 little words “Thank You” don’t begin to express my gratitude to you :-/

By the way, we now that 9 Team members, and always lookin’ to add more…so, pitch away, if you feel you have a specialty/spark/Ponn-like spunk to join our rockin’ crew! Hey, a great “intro” would be sending over a 500-800+ word guest post to dazzle me, and empower me during this difficult “test” in my life.

Without, holing u off too long: the reasons this guest post is SO rockin’ is: I simply ask Charlon to “write about this critical business topic” which I gave some main points to touch upon, and well–in her ever-so-perfectly-in-our-Ponn-like-style; totally Over-delivered and my Team *knows* I have *high* expectations of me, Our Team, Our Internet Brand, and more!

So, without further ado: Please give Charlon your utmost attention, share your thoughts and comments, and mostly give her some link-love!

Do You PIIW?

by Charlon Bobo

PIIW? What the heck is PIIW (pronounced PYOO)?

PIIW is an acronym for Put It In Writing. The PIIW philosophy has saved my legal business interest too many times to count.

As a writer I understand the power of words. I also understand how easy it is to miscommunicate. That’s why we PIIW; more specifically, create and implement legally-binding agreements.

Without them, the best-case scenario is that there are hurt feelings that can be repaired. The worst-case scenario is YOU LOSE YOUR BUSINESS. It has happened, it continues to happen and it most certainly can happen to you.

But, the good news is: It’s easy to prevent.

The most shocking realization I experience –- on an ongoing basis — in consulting with entrepreneurs is yet another company that doesn’t have a template agreement in place. Too many business owners don’t know the importance of PIIW, are so busy trying to keep up with the never-ending daily minutia of running and growing their enterprises, or they know the value, but ignore it because they think their business is just too small. Do any of these summaries sound like you?

Let me ask you: Isn’t all the hard work you’ve invested so far worth protecting?

I’m not a fear monger. I hope you aren’t either. Being protective with time-proven techniques –- like Put It In Writing — is just wise business. It isn’t about being protective because you fear losing your business. It is about being so smart that you do what’s necessary — as one component of many — to ensure the uninterrupted continuation and growth of your business.

Let me use another example. You have insurance of some kind don’t you? Life, health, automobile? You pay the premium willingly; not because you fear an accident, but for the peace of mind you carry every day knowing you did what you can in the unfortunate event something should happen.

Instead of being fearful, it’s freeing. See?

So, you PIIW because:

• Being in business requires us to formalize and document even seemingly simple arrangements

• All parties must be clear on rights and responsibilities

• Should the need arise, you have a legal basis — or grounds — for preserving and protecting your business, reputation and interests

• It’s just a savvy approach to sound and solid practices

So, let’s get on with the matter of your new approach to a formal, legal agreement.

Even though it may sound daunting, I promise it is a simple exercise.

The great thing is you go through the process ONE TIME, to experience protection FOREVER. You create a template and simply modify it to address the terms of each unique relationship. That’s it! Now that sounds manageable, doesn’t it?

If you want to stand out from the crowd and shout, “I’m serious enough about business to do what true professionals do,” draft your own version of an agreement. Begin right now.

REMEMBER: The language should not be so complex that the other party cannot understand it and must hire a lawyer for review (although this is a good idea, anyway). Use plain English!

Although this list is not all-inclusive, these are some of the items to include in your agreement

Specifically, this is based on the structure of creating a Referral Agreement:

1. Client’s name | “Lucy’s Virtual Assistance”

2. Contractor’s name | “EditCopyProof”

3. Specific services provided | “Copyediting and Proofreading”

4. Percentage of commission | “20%”

5. How commission is paid | “All payments shall be made in U.S. currency and payable to Lucy’s Virtual Assistance.”

6. When commission is paid | “Commissions are due when Contractor receives money from referred Client.”

7. Independent contractor status | “Contractor is an independent contractor and not an employee.”

8. Use of trademark or logos | “Contractor is not granted any right to use any of Lucy’s Virtual Assistance trademarks or logos.”

9. Loss of client liability | “Contractor cannot hold Lucy’s Virtual Assistance responsible for the loss of a Client.”

10. Worker’s compensation insurance | “No worker’s compensation insurance has been or will be obtained by Lucy’s Virtual Assistance on account of Contractor.”

11. Confidentiality | “Contractor agrees that Contractor shall not divulge such information to anyone other than Lucy’s Virtual Assistance.”

12. Agreement state governance | “This Agreement is governed by Georgia State law.”

13. Client solicitation by Contractor | “Contractor agrees that it will not solicit any Clients that are part of Lucy’s Virtual Assistance program (Client base) for any business that competes with Lucy’s Virtual Assistance during the term of this Agreement and for a period of three (3) years from the date of final referral sale.”

14. Term of Agreement | “The Term of this Agreement shall commence upon execution hereof.”

See a sample of my Referral Agreement.

Because all agreements are unique to the individual company and circumstance, I highly recommend an attorney review contents before finalizing and implementing your template.

Too busy? Too Tired? Or just Unavailable? Outsource this duty today

If you are neck-deep in managing your affairs and this is yet one more thing that won’t get done because it’s not at the top of your list, other options to developing a standard agreement are:

1. Search online for templates you can modify with very little time investment (have the final reviewed by an attorney to ensure it fully and specifically protects your interests)
2. Delegate the task to a virtual assistant or copywriter (have the final reviewed by an attorney to ensure it fully and specifically protects your interests)
3. Hire an attorney to draft a template version

It is YOUR duty and obligation to protect your interests. Don’t wait to find out that something so simple could have prevented the loss of your precious time, money and effort… or your business itself.

This is how I conduct business. No project begins without a signed agreement in my files. This is how Ponn ensures her team fully understands the details of her affiliations with them.

And from this point forward, it is how you project and manage yourself in the real world of serious — but fun — business.

The longevity of your thriving endeavor depends on your commitment to doing everything in your power to run a smart business — like implementing professional agreements. Doing so allows you the freedom and peace-of-mind to thrive.

To your unlimited potential and success~

Charlon Bobo is the founder and team leader of EditCopyProof — Wordsmithing and Editing Solutions — Transforming Words Into Profits. Proficient in many diverse writing roles, her expertise spans more than 25 years. This solid foundation offers you a single and final destination in your quest for extraordinary press-ready services including copyediting and proofreading.

Visit us TODAY at EditCopyProof to submit your Request For Proposal.
We deliver your perfect solution!

“I hired a pro [to develop a comprehensive event planning manual]; Charlon at EditCopyProof. Talk about over-delivering. … what she created for us was a masterpiece. Our successful events are due to the structure provided by this detailed, content-rich resource.” –Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero, America’s Leading Copywriter & Owner of Red Hot Copy

[Lorrie was my copywriter partner for my best-seller campaign. And, an internet guru in her own right…to see that Charlon is a copyeditor/writer for Lorrie, the high-profile, highly-acclaimed, copywriter, is well…just SO awesome!]

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Posted on July 13th, 2007 by Ponn Sabra
Filed under: Online Networking