A new benefit for CompTIA members is a rich library of legal document templates. For new and even established solution providers, this is a treasure trove of the basic forms you’ll need to sell software and services, conduct negotiations and contract your services.
Do not think this as trivial. As any successful entrepreneur will advise, you must learn from your mistakes. So here are a couple of mistakes I’ve made in the first three months of my new company, The 2112 Group.
- Nondisclosure Agreements: I took a collection of free documents off the Internet and wrote a nondisclosure agreement that seemed to suit my needs. Unfortunately, the document contained contradictions and erroneous language.
- Non-Compete Agreement: With no foundation to work with, I wrote a non-compete agreement for some of the partners with which I’m collaborating. My goal was to create a document that protected my accounts from my partners should they become competitors. The non-compete I drafted was so stringent that it would not allow any meaningful collaboration.
- Collections Letter: Thankfully I haven’t had any trouble getting paid by my clients (thank you, I love my clients), but it is a real consideration. I had no idea where to start should I need a legal collections letter. It’s actually on my list of topics for my next meeting with The 2112 Group’s accountant.
You can pay a lawyer to draft these documents (actually, you’re just buying their templates) or purchases these documents through online services, such as LegalZoom – both are relatively expensive options. And to small businesses, expenses are something that needs to be kept to a minimum. And that’s why CompTIA created these legal templates and forms.
The CompTIA library has a rich library:
- Software Licensing Agreement
- Non-Disclosure Agreement
- Non-Compete Agreement
- Consulting Services contract
- Collections Letter
- Services Agreement
- Hardware Maintenance Contract
CompTIA was smart in its construction of this library. They’re not downloadable Word or PDF templates, but rather online forms. Once logged into the CompTIA members portal, you simply can click on the form you need and fill in the appropriate fields. With a couple of simple clicks, you’re form is ready for mailing. No errors. No confusing language. No mismatched fields.
While these forms are tremendously helpful for small businesses, they’re equally beneficial for established solution providers as well. Just as software needs refreshing, legal documents and forms need period updating. CompTIA takes on the hassle and expense of refreshing documents as a member benefit.
Why pay a lawyer for something he’s created and resold a thousand times when CompTIA is providing expert-created documents to its members?
