I am Just looking through an old copy of My Web Design Business Kit that i brought second-Hand and i was Just curious to know when i was doing my trainining at my College my tutor taught me to include a contract inside a proposal i know there is alot more about to it but just curious is it a good idea to include a website design agreement contract inside a website design proposoal?
When would you use the the template type of stuff for clients eg Hosting Authorisation form ETC…
I’ve always combined the proposal and my terms of service into a single document for each client, together they make the ‘contract’ for that particular project. Works for me, but there’s no ‘best’ way, do whatever works for you.
I’m assuming the hosting authorisation form allows you access to their server? Seems superfluous - why not just include that as a paragraph within the contract? The less forms a client has to deal with the better IMO.
[FONT=verdana]In a sense, a proposal is a contract - or, at least, it’s a proposed contract. Basically, a proposal sets out how you propose to undertake the project. It would normally include a statement of your fee, the basis on which the fee is determined (fixed price, time and materials, whatever), the estimated timescale, the penalty (if any) if the timescale is not met, how and when the work will be invoiced, when the invoice will be due, and so on. Those are clearly all contractual elements.
Of course, once you’ve sumbitted the proposal, it is up to the client to accept it or not. If he does accept it, his acceptance plus the proposal will form the contract. The client might also want to vary some of the terms. Or, either you or the client might want to add some standard terms and conditions. But, regardless of that, the proposal is very much a key part of that process.
So the lesson is: Make sure the proposal clearly sets out the terms on which you want to proceed. Once the client has accepted it, both parties will be contractually bound to them.