Why I Have Freelancers Sign NDAs- A Business Coach and Attorney Tells All.

I am incredibly blessed to work with amazing people I trust. They have helped me grow my business to incredible heights that I couldn’t have done without them. I value their input, ideas and hard work more than I can say.

I now own a multifaceted coaching and contracts business.

My team has been as important to my business success as I am…

. . .and I had them all sign NDAs.

Why?

First, I’m definitely not out to sue my team, nor am I out to highlight possible errors or tear them down. That’s not how I operate and I’d work to protect my team from any such negative energies.

So why do I have them all sign NDAs before working with me despite this?

I do it for a few reasons:

1. When I have them sign an NDA I am letting them know that working with me and my clients has a standard. A standard of trust and doing right by the people we work with. I do things with a standard of excellence and the NDAs represent that. I want them to agree to operate at the same level I am committed to bringing.
2. My team is each amazing at what they do which means I’m not their only client and I certainly will not be their last. I want them to continue to do amazing things in this world and as they do that, I want them to take all the lessons, and experiences they learn from forward, but I don’t want them to take my ideas, and my methods and help others compete with me. NDAs help me clarify for us both where the boundary is.
3. Should accidents happen or something go awry, I want teammates who will step up and fix errors. I don’t want a team that shies away from their mistakes. Mistakes happen and it can be seen as a cost of doing business, but I don’t want to be left helpless or alone if it happens. With an NDA, my team is contractually obligated to stop the leaks they may be part of, and help me recover from the fallout. I’m set up to get the help I need when I may need it the most.
4. I promised my clients I would. One thing about business coaching, contract work and being a lawyer is that every conversation is privileged or confidential. My clients trust me and I back that trust with terms of confidentiality in my customer contracts.
   
   It’s important to my clients and it’s important to me, so every private client agreement I have includes terms of confidentiality.

Those terms of confidentiality mean I cannot share anything or get any help from any third party for my clients, not even my staff or freelancers that I trust dearly, without terms of confidentiality in place with that team member.

I’d be violating my personal standard of how I do business; I’d be misleading and lying to my customers and I’d be in breach of contract with many of those agreements if I didn’t have my freelancers sign NDAs before working with me.

Using NDAs have the combo power punch of doing right by my customers, showing I do business the right way, and it keeps me in compliance with the customer agreements.

5. I love being creative. Everything about my business- from legal coaching and my products to my brand, to my storytelling- any of it- can be outside the standard norms sometimes. My business is a creative outlet and expression of who I am! I love it… I love it enough to protect it.

Maybe I’m rolling out a new program that’s never been done before, or I’m getting creative with my social media and blog articles. These things take time behind the scenes to build, prepare and plan.

I rarely do it all 100% on my own.

The point of all this creativity is not just to create, but to roll something new and fresh into the market. I want to be the first to do that. I want to be the first to share that.

I also don’t want anyone else benefiting from my creativity before I do.

NDAs keep my ideas mine and ensure I control when they get shared and rolled out.

Using NDAs in business are not about not trusting people, and they are definitely not about suing people.

I use NDAs to set standards and boundaries and ensure forward progress in a way that works for my company’s mission and purpose. NDAs protect me and my customers. They even protect my freelancers.

NDAs support my growth and protect everyone involved in my company from customer to freelancer. It’s the right thing to do for everyone and who wouldn’t want that?

Looking to protect your company information while fostering an environment of trust and authenticity? Check out Boss From the Beach. The NDA program for business owners who lead their businesses from a place of alignment and authenticity.