I saw this today on lifehacker and it caught me by surprise. I have never thought about writing up a master contract and getting your big clients to sign it. How many of you guys actually do this?

good read:

http://weblog.muledesign.com/2011/04/getting_comfortable_with_contr.php

Quote :

"you can’t retroactively create a contract. The same way you can’t slip on a condom after getting pregnant. After the joyful climax of the business development process, everyone is excited to get to work while there is still a lot of love and momentum. Negotiating the specifics of a contract can feel like a giant buzzkill that brings everything to a screeching halt. That’s too bad. That pressure to get started can provide leverage in negotiations. Do NO work before signing. NONE. NEVER EVER. Not even a little. "

4/13/2011 9:28:02 AM

I can't even imagine doing work without a contract, I'm kinda surprised a lot of tech work is done without one. Any work beyond the bid is going to need someone to sign something for me to consider it, unless I already have a master contract that covers unit rates, allowances, and exclusions.

4/13/2011 10:29:28 AM