Contract template for business consultants

Consultants see the inside of a business: finances, staff issues, strategy that is not public yet. The client needs confidentiality in writing, and so do you, because your methods and past client examples are not theirs to share either. A clear confidentiality clause is often the first thing a client's legal team looks for.

The dispute that costs consultants the most is about responsibility. You recommend; the client decides. If a recommendation is carried out badly, or carried out at all against your advice, the contract should make clear that business decisions stay with the client and that your liability is capped at a sensible amount.

Clauses specific to business consultants

• Confidentiality. Both parties keep the other's non-public information confidential during the engagement and afterwards, and use it only for the purposes of the engagement.
• Scope of the deliverable. The consultant delivers the report and recommendations described in the proposal. Implementation is only included where the proposal says so.
• Client cooperation. The client provides timely access to the people, data and systems listed in the proposal. Delays caused by missing access may move deadlines and add billable days.
• Decisions remain with the client. Recommendations are advice. The client is responsible for its own business decisions and how they are carried out.
• Limit of liability. The consultant's total liability under this agreement is limited to the fees paid for the engagement, except where the law does not allow such a limit.
• Expenses. Reasonable travel and accommodation costs are reimbursed at cost under the expense policy in the proposal, with receipts.

The clauses every freelance contract needs

• Parties. Who the agreement is between: your legal name or business, the client's legal entity, and the addresses of both.
• Scope of work. What you will deliver, in what form, and what is explicitly not included. Refer to the quote or proposal by number if it lists the details.
• Fees and payment terms. The total fee or rate, the currency, any deposit, when invoices are issued and how many days the client has to pay.
• Late payment. What happens when an invoice is late: interest or a fixed fee if you want one, and your right to pause work until the account is settled.
• Changes and revisions. How many revision rounds are included, what counts as a change of scope, and how extra work is priced and approved.
• Timeline and client delays. Key dates, and that deadlines move when the client is late with feedback, content or approvals.
• Ownership and licence. Who owns the finished work and when (usually on full payment), what the client may use it for, and what you keep, such as your tools, templates and know-how.
• Confidentiality. Both sides keep the other's non-public information private, during the project and after it.
• Cancellation. How either side can end the agreement, the notice required, and payment for work done up to that point.
• Liability. A cap on what either side can claim, often the fees paid under the agreement, and no liability for indirect losses.
• Governing law. Which country's law applies and where disputes are heard. Usually where you are based.

A plain-language sample

Copy it, fill in the brackets, and cut what doesn't apply. Shorter is fine as long as the scope, the money and the rights are clear.

Questions business consultants ask

Also for business consultants: invoice template and quote template. Contract templates for related trades: marketing consultants, data analysts, virtual assistants. Or browse all contract templates.