Here are 5 important legal agreements for Small Business Owners (SMEs) you need to have in place to protect your business and its interests. These include employment contracts, client contracts, service level agreements, non-disclosure agreements, and terms and conditions of service. Failure to have these contracts in place can lead to legal and financial troubles for your business.
- Service Level Agreement (SLA)
Service Level Agreement (SLA): An SLA is a contract between a service provider and a customer that says what amount of service the provider will give. It says what metrics will be used to measure the quality of the service and what can be done if the company doesn’t meet the standards that were agreed upon. A Service Level Agreement (SLA) is important for small businesses because it helps them manage their customers’ expectations and makes sure they deliver the amount of service they promised.
Some more things to remember about meeting customer needs:
- It’s important to talk to your customers regularly about the services you offer. Make sure to explain what your services involve, how long it will take to give them, and if there are any limits or restrictions that might apply. This will help them know what to expect and keep mistakes from happening and you will retain a customer for longer.
- Don’t hide any problems or limitations that might make it hard for you to offer services according to the SLA. For example, if you have technical problems or other problems that come up out of the blue that might slow down service delivery, let your customers know as soon as possible.
- Customers may sometimes have wants or requests that aren’t covered by your standard services. It’s important to be flexible and ready to work with your customers to find solutions that meet their needs. This will help your customers believe you and build a good relationship with you.
- Look at your SLA and service delivery processes regularly to find ways to make them better. Ask your customers for feedback and use it to improve your services and methods all the time. This will help you serve your customers better and handle their demands better over time.
Here are two examples of how a service level agreement (SLA) can impact your business and your customer:
- IT Support Company: An SLA between an IT support company and a client says that if a serious problem comes up, the company must respond in no more than 2 hours. If the IT help company doesn’t respond within this time, they may have to give the client a partial refund. Without an SLA, the IT support company might not put the most important problems first and might take longer to fix them. This could make clients unhappy and cause the company to lose business.
- Cleaning Services Company: A cleaning services company signs an SLA with a client that lists the tasks that need to be done and how often they need to be done. The SLA also says what amount of cleanliness should be expected after every cleaning. If the cleaning services business doesn’t meet the standards that were agreed upon, they may have to give a discount or clean more for free. Without an SLA, the cleaning services company might not know what the client wants and might not do a good job of cleaning, which could lead to bad reviews and loss of business.
To manage customer expectations, it’s important to talk to customers often and directly about what services are covered by the SLA, how long it takes to respond, and what level of service they can expect. It is also important to keep track of and report on SLA performance to find places where the business can improve and show that it is committed to meeting customer standards.
- Shareholder deal or partnership agreement
This deal sets the rules for how partners or shareholders in a business will work together. It makes the relationship official and sets out the tasks and responsibilities of the partners or shareholders in terms and rules that everyone agrees to. It is used as a way to divide up profit and/or dividends, based on what the agreement says. Regarding the sale of shares, it makes it clear what steps, notices, and deadlines need to be met. Both the shareholder agreement and the partnership agreement will have rules about what to do and how to do it if there is a disagreement or a stalemate. It will also say how these disagreements are to be fixed.
It not only looks out for the interests of the main shareholders but also those of the minority shareholders.
Here are some of the most important parts of an owners’ agreement:
- Shares: This says exactly how shares can be bought, sold, or moved. It also says what happens if someone dies or if shares can be bought back voluntarily or by force.
- Voting rights: The agreement will say who gets to make what kind of choices and how. It could include the right of shareholders to decide on the rules of the company, the choice of directors, and other things.
- Financial arrangements: The deal should basically say how the business will get money. Most of the time, this is done with money from the shareholders themselves, through equity, debt, or other ways. The financial plan will also say what happens when a member can no longer make payments.
- Pre-emptive rights: Basically, the shareholders would have the right to be the first ones to buy the newly released stock before it is sold to other people.
- An employment contract
An employment contract is a very important piece of paper that spells out the terms and conditions of an employee’s job. The Basic Conditions of Job Act (BCEA) and the Labour Relations Act (LRA) are the two laws that govern job contracts in South Africa. There are two different kinds of job contracts: those with a set length of time and those with no end date. A contract with a set end date or that is tied to a specific job or task is called a fixed-term contract. A contract that doesn’t have a set end date, on the other hand, is called an “indefinite contract.” This type of contract lasts until either side ends it.
South African labour law says that all workers must get a written employment contract within the first three months of working for the company. The contract should list the terms and conditions of the job, such as the employee’s job description, working hours, pay, time off, and notice period if they want to quit. Failure to provide a written employment contract can lead to legal penalties. For example, if an employee thinks their rights have been violated, they can bring a case to the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation, and Arbitration (CCMA). The CCMA can then order the company to make up for any losses by paying the worker money.
According to the Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA) and the Labour Relations Act (LRA), employers in South Africa must give workers a written contract of employment within the first two months of starting work. If an employer doesn’t give an employee an employment contract, it could lead to legal problems like disagreements and claims of unfair labour practices. In the absence of a contract, the employee may also be able to ask for back pay and perks that were not specified. Also, not having a contract can lead to confusion and misunderstandings between the employer and employee about their rights and responsibilities. This can hurt the connection between an employer and an employee in the long run, leading to lower productivity and morale.
4. A Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA)
A Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) is a very important legally binding contract that a business uses to protect its private information. It is a legally enforceable agreement that says workers, contractors, and other parties can’t tell unauthorised people or groups anything about the business.
In South Africa, NDAs are an important part of doing business because they help protect trade secrets, customer information, financial information, and other private business information that could be harmful if it got out or was stolen. To protect your business from possible risks, you must make sure that all workers, contractors, and third parties sign an NDA. Without an NDA, a small business risks giving competition or the general public access to private information. This kind of publicity can cause a company to lose market share, customer trust, and money. Also, if confidential information gets out, it can hurt the business’s name, and it might take a long time to rebuild trust and the brand’s image.
So, it’s important to write a strong NDA that follows the South African Labour Law and meets the business’s unique needs. This paper should make it clear what information needs to be kept secret, how long the agreement will last, and what will happen if the NDA is broken. In addition to having an NDA in place, it is very important for a business to manage what its customers expect from it. A business has to tell its customers about its privacy rules and what it is doing to keep their information safe. It is also important to make sure that workers know how important it is to keep things secret and know what could happen if they break the NDA. For example, if a small business doesn’t have an NDA, a former employee or contractor could tell rivals about sensitive information about the business. This could cause the business to lose customers, market share, and money. This can also lead to the business being sued, which can be expensive and take a long time to settle.
- Terms and Conditions
Business terms and conditions are an important part of any business. They lay out the rights and responsibilities of both the business and its customers so that everyone knows what is expected of them. Businesses need to put their terms and conditions on quotes, invoices, and even their websites so that their deals with customers are clear and honest. Quotes and invoices are legally binding documents that show the terms and conditions of service that were agreed upon. By putting these terms and conditions on quotes and receipts, the customer will know what services are being offered, how much they will cost, and how they should pay. This can help keep mistakes and disagreements from happening in the future. Businesses can protect themselves from responsibility and avoid legal problems by having clear terms and conditions.
Terms and conditions are also important to have on a website because they explain what the business and its customers can expect from each other. It tells customers what to expect from the business, such as delivery times, payment terms, and any other policies or processes that may be important to the business. Businesses can keep confusion and mistakes to a minimum on their websites by putting terms and conditions there that are clear and easy to understand. Terms and conditions also help protect a business’s intellectual property rights, such as copyright and brand. They can also talk about responsibility, indemnification, warranties, and limits on liability. For example, if a business is offering a service, it may include a clause that says they are not responsible for any loss or damage caused by the service, except in cases of gross negligence or wilful misconduct.
It’s also important to know that in South Africa, some terms and conditions, like those about consumer safety, privacy, and electronic transactions, may be required by law. Businesses that don’t follow these law rules could be fined or taken to court. Any small business to have clear and complete terms and conditions of service, both to follow the law and to manage customer standards and stop bad reviews. By taking the time to carefully write and explain these terms, businesses can build customer trust and loyalty and avoid expensive legal battles. In South Africa, the Consumer Protection Act (CPA) says that all deals with customers must include certain terms and conditions of service. This includes quotes, invoices, and contracts, as well as the business’s online terms and conditions. If a business doesn’t follow the requirements of the CPA, the business could be sued, which could lead to big fines and damage to its image. Also, the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act (ECTA) requires all businesses that do business online to give customers certain information, such as the business’s physical address and contact information, a description of the goods or services being sold, and the price of those goods or services. The business’s website should make this information easy to find and show it clearly.
In addition to meeting these legal requirements, a small company can avoid disputes and legal action by having clear and complete terms and conditions of service. This is because it spells out the rights and responsibilities of both the business and the customer. It can also help keep customers’ expectations in check and keep them from getting confused or fighting over things that aren’t clear.
Here are some important laws and rules that business people in South Africa should know about, along with links to their official websites:
- Companies Act, 2008
- Labour Relations Act, 1995
- Basic Conditions of Employment Act, 1997
- Consumer Protection Act of 2008
- Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013
These laws cover a wide range of topics, such as how a business is set up and run, how employees are treated at work, how consumers are protected, and how personal information is kept private. It’s important for business owners to know about these laws and rules so they can follow them and avoid possible legal problems.
As the owner of a small business with 18 years of business experience and an MBA, I know how important it is to have contracts in place. It’s important to keep your business out of trouble with the law by making sure you have all the contracts you need with your workers, contractors, suppliers, and customers. South African business owners should know about the Basic Conditions of Employment Act and the Consumer Protection Act, which are labour laws and rules that affect their companies. By knowing these laws, you can avoid trouble with the police and protect your business. When it comes to payment terms, project timelines, and the scope of work, having contracts in place can help avoid mistakes and disagreements. It also makes sure that everyone knows what to expect from the business connection.
On the other hand, if you don’t have the right contracts in place, your business could end up in court, lose money, or have its image hurt. It’s important to make sure that your contracts are reviewed and updated on a regular basis to represent changes in your business needs or in the law. If you don’t know what legal documentation your business needs, talking to a lawyer can help you avoid legal problems. With the right contracts in place, you can focus on building your business and feel safe knowing that you’re covered.
Written by: Terrill Christians, Owner of Success By Design
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