Running a business is no small feat. It takes careful planning, hard work, and sometimes a bit of luck to make it a success. But there's one piece of the puzzle that often gets overlooked: contracts. Whether you're hiring employees or subcontractors, taking on client work or selling products and services, contracts are an essential part of keeping your business safe from legal issues. Let's take a look at some of the most important types of contracts you should have in place to protect your company.

Employment Contract

If you're hiring one or more employees for your business, you need to have an employment contract in place that outlines their role, salary and benefits package, expected hours worked and other important details. This document will help ensure that both parties understand each other's expectations and protect your company if any disputes arise down the line. It can also be used as evidence in court if necessary.

Subcontractor Contract

If you don't want to hire an employee full-time but still need help with certain tasks or projects, then a subcontractor agreement is the way to go. This document will outline what tasks they are responsible for completing as well as how much they will be paid for their services. It should also include a clause regarding confidentiality so that any sensitive information remains protected. If in a licenced industry it also should reference their licence and insurance requirements and any associated liability.

Terms of Trade

When you sell goods or services to customers on credit terms, it's essential to have Terms of Trade in place so that everyone understands their rights and obligations when it comes to payment deadlines and other applicable details. Having this document in place can help prevent disagreements between buyer and seller down the line.

Client Contracts

If you provide services such as web design or consultancy work then having client contracts in place is key for protecting yourself from many legal issues related to copyright infringement, intellectual property theft or any other dispute related to project deliverables. This document should outline exactly what is expected from each party involved in order to avoid misunderstandings later on down the road.      

Employee Car & Equipment Policies

It's always wise to establish car & equipment policies for employees who may be using their own vehicles for business-related purposes(such as sales reps who are visiting clients) or those employees that have company cars or equipment like a laptop. These policies should include guidelines about mileage reimbursement rates, insurance requirements and other important details related to vehicle use while on company time as well a company use schedule for those where the business owns the asset. Having these policies in place helps keep everyone safe while ensuring your company meets its legal obligations too!  

Contracts play an essential role in protecting businesses from legal issues related to employee relations, client work and product/service sales - not just now but also well into the future too! By creating comprehensive documents outlining all party's rights and obligations when working together you can ensure smooth sailing ahead without compromising your own safety either financially or legally speaking either! So take the time today to review all types of contracts relevant for your business - it could save you lots of hassle down the road!