Synopsis
Karen dives into the idea of contracts in episode 42. While this is a shorter episode in comparison to the previous uploads, she dives into the importance of having these. She receives questions in regards to contracts quite frequently - this was her motivation to create episode 42. Karen discussed biases and what to include while creating your own contract. Eager to have her listeners understand the importance of having a contract, she makes note that she will reiterate this subject in the future
The Importance of Contracts
Karen’s main concern is that both parties involved in the contract are on the same page when signing the document. This will help prevent any miscommunication or confusion between both the client and the manager. Everything that has happened or will happen should be included in the contract- as this is the whole purpose behind creating one. Karen claims, “this is the clarity component of the whole project. Clear is kind, unclear is unkind.”
In addition to communicating the responsibilities and tasks of a client, the contract helps reiterate the idea of professionalism. Imagine if you had been offered a big job offer but there was not one form or paper explaining your tasks, responsibilities, payments, and schedule of times you would be required to work. The contract shows that you are serious and committed to the project.
Lastly, the contract insures who is liable if something negative were to happen. It protects you and your business from a multitude of things that are included in the writing. Besides uncontrollable events, contracts serve as a shield to both you and your project.
Bias’s of Contracts
Often emerging artists refrain from the idea of contracts, whether it be creating or filling out one. In general, there is this stigma that having a contract can make you seem overly precocious. She notes that when creating a contract it is important to be professional, but not all documents have to use extremely sophisticated verbiage. Karen explains her own past struggle with this idea as she once refrained from getting a contract from her car dealership. It ended up costing her far more to repair the damages than to simply take the time to initially fill out a contract. She urges us all to get rid of sleeves of that bias and embrace the purpose behind them.
What To Include
Karen gives a rundown of what exactly to include in a contract. The list is not a step-by-step or how-to, but rather a complication of the most important parts of a contract:
