GENERAL AGREEMENT & GUIDE

Included: Overview Dos and Don’ts Checklist General Agreement Instructions General Agreement Form

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Overview

Every agreement has terms and conditions that should be understood by every party that signs it. However simple your agreement seems, it is important to set forth its terms in writing. With the enclosed general agreement, you can protect yourself and the other parties, clarify conditions, and ensure a clear and correct understanding of the terms. Never underestimate the power of the written word: it can ensure satisfaction and protect all parties in the event of a breach. This package contains contract essentials, providing a standard form agreement that should prove useful to your business. It does more than memorialize promises in writing—it also establishes expectations, confirms the binding nature of the agreement, and provides measures for enforcement. In the consideration, discussion, and statement of a written agreement, the parties can go a long way toward promoting a successful partnership, deal, or business relationship. A written contract minimizes confusion, misunderstandings, and errors, and clearly sets forth expectations and fulfillment obligations. In every way, this promotes a successful and profitable arrangement.

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Dos & Don’ts Checklist Allow each party ample time to review the agreement. This will reduce the likelihood, or at least the likelihood of success, of a claim that a party did not understand any terms or how those might affect the agreement. A contract should be signed before any services are performed, goods are exchanged, or money is transferred. Sign two copies of the agreement, one for you and one for the other party. Keep your copy of the signed agreement for your records. At the end of its term, you and the other party can revisit its provisions and consider whether to renew. Depending on the nature of its terms, you may decide to have your agreement witnessed or notarized. This will limit later challenges to the validity of a party’s signature.

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o Both parties should review the completed agreement carefully to ensure that all relevant deal points have been included. It is better to be over-inclusive than under-inclusive. Do not assume that certain expectations or terms are agreed to if they are not stated expressly in the document. § If your agreement is complicated, do not use the enclosed form. Contact an attorney to help you draft a document that will meet your specific needs. At all times, you and your representatives should conduct yourselves in a professional, courteous, lawful, and nondiscriminatory manner.

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General Agreement Instructions

The following provision-by-provision instructions will help you understand the terms of your agreement. The numbers and letters below (for example, section 1 or section 2(d)) correspond to provisions in the agreement. Note that in the agreement, red is used to designate places where you need to make a selection among choices or to signal that the language in that color is optional (in other words, it’s your choice whether or not you include it, depending whether it’s useful for your arrangement). Blue is used to indicate that you will need to add your own information to the document. Purple is used to indicate that there is a drop-down menu of choices. Make sure you change all colors back to “automatic” or “black” before printing your document. Please review the entire agreement before starting the step-by-step process. • Introduction. ADD INFORMATION: Provide the name of each party in capital letters. SELECT INFORMATION: Choose each party’s business type from the purple drop-down list. If you don’t see your organizational type listed, feel free