I have been a contract trainer for a national training company for about one and half years. I am now in the process of developing my own seminars and am in search of a sample contract for providing onsite or inhouse seminars. If anyone can help me in this area I would greatly appreciate it.
The best thing you can do if you are going to be in business for yourself is have a lawyer assist you in building a contract that will protect your interests. In the mean time and/or in lieu of funds for that option, I urge you to go to the library and find resources that will help you build a contract that will protect your interests. You may also want to look into becoming an LLC so that people cannot touch your private assets. Going into business for yourself takes time and money -- the first good bit of which is spent researching and building documentation that protects you and your assets. Good luck to you.
Thank you very much for your feedback. I am incorporated, have business insurance and all the other necessities for business safety. You are right that my ability to afford an attorney at this point is more than difficult, so I am just looking for something basic. I have found some contracts, but they are so over the top, if someone sent it to me, I would discard them as a possibility simply because of the complexity of the document. For now, something clear, precise and simple is all I need if anyone can help. - THANKS!
ASTD published a really good book that you might find useful - "Consulting 101: How to Secceed as a Training Consultant" by Joel Gendelman (1995). In the Appendix, he provides sample contracts: a fixed-price design and development agreement; a fixed-price workshop agreement; a general time-and-materials agreement; an agreement with an outside resource; and a sample project list. All are very simple and to the point. I've used them many times with no problems. The entire book would be worth reading. It's short - just 127 pages.
