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The Ultimate Guide · Free Checklist
Business ContractTemplates
Which contracts your business needs, what every template has to say, and where free templates leave you exposed. With a one-page checklist to run on any agreement before you sign it.
From Costaras Law, flat-fee business counsel in Independence, Ohio.
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One page to check, and you know what you are signing.
No legalese and no fill-in-the-blank forms. The checklist works on any template, or on a contract someone sends you.
The eight sections every contract needs
Parties, scope, payment, termination, ownership, liability, disputes and signatures: what each one has to say.
The red flags in free templates
Automatic renewals, one-way indemnities, another state's law: the clauses that most often cost small businesses money.
The seven agreements you will sign
Service, NDA, vendor, employment, contractor, lease and operating agreements, and the clause each one misses.
When to have it reviewed
The signs that a contract deserves a lawyer's read before you sign, and what a flat-fee review covers.
- Three pages: checklist, red flags, the seven agreements
- Works on any template or contract
- Instant access, and a copy by email
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The seven agreements
The contracts most businesses need
Most small businesses run on the same handful of agreements. Here is what each one protects, and the clause templates most often get wrong.
Service agreement
Sets out what you deliver, by when, and how you get paid.
Often missed: A scope so vague that one more revision never ends.
Non-disclosure agreement (NDA)
Protects what you share before a deal, with a partner, an investor or a supplier.
Often missed: No clear definition of what counts as confidential, or no end date.
Vendor or supplier agreement
Fixes price, quality and delivery with the businesses you buy from.
Often missed: An automatic renewal with a short window to cancel.
Employment agreement
Sets pay and duties, and what happens to your clients and information when someone leaves.
Often missed: Restrictions on competing that are broader than a court is likely to enforce.
Independent contractor agreement
Documents a working relationship that is not employment.
Often missed: The label alone does not decide it. How the work is controlled does, and getting it wrong can mean back taxes and penalties.
Commercial lease
Covers your space: rent, repairs, renewal and who pays for what.
Often missed: Repair and maintenance costs passed to the tenant in the fine print.
Partnership or operating agreement
Defines ownership, decisions, and what happens when an owner leaves, dies or wants out.
Often missed: No buyout terms, so a departure turns into a dispute.
What a template must contain
Eight sections no business contract should skip
Whatever the agreement, check that these are in it, and that they say what you think they say.
The parties
Full legal names, and the entity that signs: your LLC or corporation, not you personally.
The scope
What is delivered, by when, and what is not included.
Payment
The amount, the due dates, late fees, and what happens when a payment is missed.
Term and termination
How long it lasts, how either side can end it, and which obligations survive the end.
Confidentiality and ownership
Who owns the work and the information once the contract ends.
Liability and indemnification
Who pays when something goes wrong, and up to what amount.
Disputes
Which state's law applies, where a dispute is heard, and whether mediation or arbitration comes first.
Signatures
Signed by someone with the authority to sign for each party, and dated.
For the complete section-by-section outline, read How to Write a Business Contract: The 13-Part Structure We Use.
Free templates
Where free templates go wrong
A template is somebody else's contract with the names removed. These are the gaps we see most often.
Written for another state
A form drafted for California or New York may name the wrong governing law, or rely on rules that work differently in Ohio.
Written for another deal
A template fits the deal its author had in mind. Your prices, risks and deadlines are not in the blanks.
One-sided by default
Many free forms favor whoever wrote them: indemnities, liability caps and termination rights that run one way.
Silent on what goes wrong
Templates describe the plan. Disputes come from the exceptions: a late payment, a missed deadline, a partner who leaves.
Signed by the wrong party
Signing in your own name instead of your company's can make you personally liable for the business's obligations.
When a template is enough
Know when to have it reviewed
A template can be a sensible starting point for a simple, low-value agreement with someone you know. Have a lawyer read it before you sign when the contract is worth more than you could afford to lose, runs for years, renews on its own, limits what you can do after it ends, or was drafted by the other side's lawyer.
See our flat-fee contract reviewWe quote a flat fee in writing before any work begins.
Questions
Business contract templates, answered
Is this a fill-in-the-blank contract template?
No. The guide is a checklist and an explanation of what a good contract contains. It works with any template you already have, or with a contract someone sends you to sign.
Can I use a free contract template from the internet?
For a simple, low-stakes agreement, a template can be a reasonable starting point. Check it against the eight sections above, make sure it is written for Ohio, and have it reviewed when a lot is at stake.
Do I need a lawyer for a contract to be valid?
Usually not. Most business contracts are binding without a lawyer, although some, such as agreements involving real estate, must be in writing to be enforced. A lawyer makes sure the contract says what you think it says, and protects you when things go wrong.
How much does a contract review cost?
We quote a flat fee in writing before any work begins, so you know the cost up front. A free 15-minute introduction is the quickest way to get a quote.
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