Today’s episode is a little bit different - I am joined by one of my amazing clients Allison Brown from Fudge Gifts and Lifestyle, which she runs with her husband.

I talk a lot on the podcast about all the things we do as business lawyers and the advice and tips I’ve got for business owners. So I’m really excited to share with you today what it’s actually like to work with me, straight from one of my clients.

Allison really had no idea why she was calling me or what she needed when she first called me, As I say - you don't know what you don't know.

We really connected and a week later I got to work getting all of Allison’s legal documents sorted - starting with terms and conditions for their website, as well as employment contracts for all their staff. Allison shares how she really loves knowing that she now has these at her fingertips, and can adapt them for new staff.

It has been such a pleasure working with Allison, and, as she attests to - I really feel like one of the team. Allison calls me whenever her and her husband come up against a tricky situation or have a challenge to navigate and she loves knowing I’m only a phone call or email away. I really love getting to have this kind of input with my clients.

Allison’s advice is, if you don’t have a lawyer onsite - do it. She feels so much more confident and at ease knowing she has the critical legal documents sorted, so she can lean on them when needed.

If you’d like to learn more about what it’s like to work with me, and be confident and in control of your business legals, book in for a call here.


LINKS:

Fudge Gifts and Lifestyle

• Book a Strategy Session with me here
• Check out my course Getting Paid Made Easy here
• Get your copy of my Annual Legal Checklist here

Website:tmsolicitor.com.au

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/tmsolicitor/

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/traceymylecharanesolicitor

I have a lot of strategy sessions with new clients who are trying to get their heads around what legal documents they need, why they need them and what to do with them when they’re done. 

In this episode, I’m taking you through my approach to these valuable strategy sessions, specifically regarding website legal documents. 

The first thing I always do in a strategy session is take time to understand the business. I ask a lot of questions about the services they offer and the programs and courses they have available to really understand what type of legal protection they need. 

If you’ve listened to this podcast before, you’d be well aware that Website Ts & Cs and a Privacy Policy are an absolute must for any business. Beyond that, there are many variables involved and there is no cookie cutter approach. Legal documents must be tailored specifically to each business in order to make sure that every legal obligation is being met.  

These strategy sessions help my clients gain a clear understanding of what their specific legal obligations are, what it is they need to protect, and the best practice to establish trust and build credibility with their clients.

A lot of people have asked me how my strategy sessions work so this episode will give you a feel for how I work and give you an understanding of the many moving parts involved in creating beautifully tailored legal documents. 

LINKS:

Book a Strategy Session with me here

Check out my course Getting Paid Made Easy here

Get your copy of my Annual Legal Checklist here

Website:tmsolicitor.com.au

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/tmsolicitor/

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/traceymylecharanesolicitor

Using emails and emojis in your business is inherently risky and it’s something business owners don’t often think of, particularly around risk mitigation.

In this episode I’ll share with you the inherent risks associated with emails and emojis, why it’s important to consider them and what you should be thinking about to minimise your risk.

I’ll take you through the risk that digital communications present when using them for quotes or  confirming the scope of your services, and how clear systems and processes help minimise this risk.

Knowing when to move communication from Instagram DM’s or Facebook Messenger into a phone call or email is vital, and ensuring your team is clear on this as well, provides excellent protection. We also discuss interpretations and intentions of emojis, particularly when you’re setting expectations for a new client.

I’ll run you through my top tips on how to use digital communications holistically to ensure you’re set up for long-term success. By thinking about your processes and systems and the how, when and what you communicate, you create positive client experiences and ensure your reputation is protected.


LINKS:

Check out my course Getting Paid Made Easy here

Get your copy of my Annual Legal Checklist here

Website:tmsolicitor.com.au

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/tmsolicitor/

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/traceymylecharanesolicitor

A topic I get asked a lot about is the legality of sending emails and SMS. Receiving unsolicited emails and text messages can be really annoying so I’m talking today about the Spam Act which outlines the rules, regulations and best practices around when you can and can’t contact people with marketing and business information. 

In this episode, I explain what the law says about when you can add someone to your email list, the consent you need, and how best to obtain that consent. 

It’s becoming more common now for businesses to send communication via SMS, but just because a business does this, doesn’t mean they’re doing it legally. It’s important to understand what the law says about obtaining express consent to contact people via SMS.

I outline the difference between express consent and inferred consent and the 3 things you legally need to have in your communication in both email and SMS.

This episode will be relevant, helpful and important for e-commerce businesses and services providers alike.


LINKS:

Check out my course Getting Paid Made Easy here

Get your copy of my Annual Legal Checklist here

Website:tmsolicitor.com.au

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/tmsolicitor/

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/traceymylecharanesolicitor

It only takes one disgruntled client or complaint to significantly impact your bottom line. The most crucial way we can protect ourselves from this is by having up-to-date and comprehensive legal documents that are regularly reviewed, especially through growth stages. 

In this episode, I’m covering a topic I’m asked about frequently, what do you need to do with your legal documents when you’re uplevelling your business. 

I’ll explore the documents that you need to be on top of and what parts of them will need to be expanded as your business grows. We’ll look at terms and conditions, website documents, privacy policy, influencer agreements and more. 

This episode is perfect for you if you’re business is uplevelling and growing and you’re unsure if your legal documents are still suitable. As always, prevention is better than cure so I encourage you to take this conversation as an opportunity to sit down with all of your legal documents and go through them carefully to ensure they are still working for you and protecting your business. 

LINKS:

Check out my course Getting Paid Made Easy here

Get your copy of my Annual Legal Checklist here

Website:tmsolicitor.com.au
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/tmsolicitor/
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/traceymylecharanesolicitor

Today’s topic is crucial for all small businesses recovering from the last two years. We’ve all experienced clients and customers failing to show up, cancelling at the last minute or asking to reschedule without any notice.

So, can you impose financial requirements on your booking and cancellation policies?

In this episode, I’m covering booking and cancellation policies and the questions surrounding what to consider, how to set them up and whether you can enforce them.

If you don’t have booking and cancellation policies that are clearly detailed, fair and in alignment with Consumer Law within your terms and conditions, you’re leaving yourself exposed as a small business owner with terms you won’t be able to enforce.

I’ll take you through everything you need to think about and consider when writing specific and unique booking and cancellation policies for your business. This isn’t a cookie-cutter approach and I encourage you to take a moment and think critically about how much time you need to rebook a cancelled appointment and how much money you may potentially lose for no-shows.

Of course, I don’t want to negate the human aspect of business. Emergencies come up suddenly for everyone so I’ll talk about how you can handle those situations where you don’t feel it fair to slog your client with a cancellation fee or loss of deposit.

If you want to learn more about tailoring your terms and conditions to fit the needs of your business, check out my Resources Page or book in for a call here. 

LINKS:

Resources mentioned:
Blog & Resources | Business Legal Advice — TM Solicitor

Previous episodes mentioned:
What legal documents does my business need?
How Ts and Cs work with your business processes & systems

Check out my course Getting Paid Made Easy here

Get your copy of my Annual Legal Checklist here

Website:tmsolicitor.com.au
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/tmsolicitor/
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/traceymylecharanesolicitor

More and more businesses are running retreats in the post-lockdown world. It’s easy to see why - they’re fun, profitable and offer huge value for every participant.  

But what do you need to do legally for retreats? 

In this episode, I’m discussing exactly what you need to know, in terms of legal obligations, when running retreats in your business. We’ll go over your terms and conditions thoroughly and I’ll provide all of the most important inclusions that you absolutely MUST have in your documents. 

Prevention is better than cure and it’s no different for retreats. We don’t want a participant demanding a refund at the end of the retreat because their expectations weren’t met. 

This episode is perfect for you if you’re running retreats or looking at running them in the future. You might not have thought of every inclusion, clause or obligation under Consumer Law that we’re exploring so grab a pen and write them all down. 

Above all, it’s not a one size fits all approach. You don’t know what you don’t know so I strongly encourage you to engage a business lawyer when writing your terms and conditions and stay away from templates or copying someone else. 

LINKS:

Check out my course Getting Paid Made Easy here

Get your copy of my Annual Legal Checklist here

Website:tmsolicitor.com.au

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/tmsolicitor/

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/traceymylecharanesolicitor

We’ve just arrived at a new financial year! I love this time of year as it feels like such a fresh start and a chance for a reset - even more than the 1st of January.

In this episode, I’m going to share my top 5 tips of what you can be doing in your small business now to set yourself up for a strong financial year ahead. These tips will help you to refocus and start the financial year with intention, structure and a plan.

Take advantage of this time as it provides a great opportunity for business owners to be reviewing processes and systems and all things legal. Sit down for a moment and write down these 5 tips to check off in your business to ensure that you’re kicking the financial year off in the best possible way.

If you have any questions about anything I’ve spoken about in this episode, please feel free to let me know. There are amazing resources for you to use on my Resources Page and don’t forget to download my Annual Legal Checklist to tick everything off and gain peace of mind knowing you’ve got everything covered. 

LINKS:

Resources mentioned: 

• Director Identification Numbers: Important Changes to the Law

Check out my course Getting Paid Made Easy here

Get your copy of my Annual Legal Checklist here

Website: tmsolicitor.com.au

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tmsolicitor/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/traceymylecharanesolicitor

Do you have a comprehensive employment agreement set up for your employees?

If not, you’re leaving yourself open for litigation. I have made it my mission to help business owners avoid these situations through education and proper documentation and I’m here to help you today!

In this episode, I’m going to share exactly what you need to include in your employment agreement to set yourself up for success and avoid any awkward tricky situations.

I have seen many many versions of employment agreements over the years. I have had countless business owners coming to me to help them out of tricky situations, give advice, and review agreements that are lacking in certain areas and important details.  I have seen it all and, in this episode, we’ll take a look at your agreement to see how it measures up. 

I’ll take you through the important specifics that must be included in your employment agreement to ensure you’re covered and set up for a successful employment relationship. We’ll go over role descriptions, employment status, salary, superannuation, working from home conditions, awards, leave entitlements, confidentiality agreements and much more.

Bookmark this episode so you can come back again and tick everything off on your employment agreement and make adjustments where needed. You’ll feel confident that you’ve done everything you can to avoid any awkward situations down the road and your employees will feel clear in their role, entitlements and responsibilities.

LINKS:

Previous episode mentioned: 

• Should you engage an employee or a contractor?

Resources mentioned: 

• Blog & Resources | Business Legal Advice — TM Solicitor

Check out my course Getting Paid Made Easy here

Get your copy of my Annual Legal Checklist here

Website: tmsolicitor.com.au

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tmsolicitor/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/traceymylecharanesolicitor

Have you been wondering whether you should engage an employee or a contractor? I’m here to help you make this important decision today.

As our businesses grow, our needs will change. We must remember that what suits us right now may not suit us later on so we have to make our decisions with the future in mind.

In this episode, I’ll explore the differences between engaging an employee and a contractor, and which one would be the best fit for your business.

We’ll look at what you want to achieve in the role, exclusivity, delegation and how we want this team member to operate in the long term.

Take this time to reflect on exactly what you need from the role. Do you want them to only work for a few hours a week? Do you want them to be a long term team member and grow with your company? We’ll run through more questions you can ask yourself to build clarity around how you envision this new person fitting into your team.

I’ll also discuss the legal aspects of exit strategies and written agreements to make sure you have thought it through and covered everything. It may surprise you to learn that in some cases it’s more beneficial to hire an employee than a contractor when you need to end the agreement.

By the end of the episode, you’ll have a very clear idea of which one you want to engage to suit your business needs in the long run.

LINKS:

Resources mentioned: 

• Blog & Resources | Business Legal Advice — TM Solicitor

Check out my course Getting Paid Made Easy here

Get your copy of my Annual Legal Checklist here

Website: tmsolicitor.com.au

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tmsolicitor/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/traceymylecharanesolicitor