{"id":204515,"date":"2021-04-14T15:14:56","date_gmt":"2021-04-14T02:14:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.nz\/?p=204515"},"modified":"2021-09-09T18:11:24","modified_gmt":"2021-09-09T05:11:24","slug":"contracts-my-startup-needs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.nz\/startups\/contracts-my-startup-needs\/","title":{"rendered":"What Are the Contracts My Startup Needs in New Zealand?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Starting a business is no easy feat. You need to price your product, scope the market, secure suppliers, reach your customers and sort out the legals. Ultimately, legal work is an investment in the successful growth of your business. Below, we set out the essential legal contracts your startup needs. These include contracts for:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">customers,\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">your workers,\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">your business structure; and\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">other people your business interacts with, like investors and lessors.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Of course, the content of your contracts may be different to other startups. This will depend on how you conduct your business. However, this article will provide you with a comprehensive starting point for which contracts you need to put in place.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Contracts for Your Customers<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you operate a business, you will automatically have a legal relationship with your customers. This is the case even if you do not have anything in writing. Hence, you should prepare to draft legal documents to outline what goods or services you provide and the terms and conditions on which you provide them. Such documents will also ensure your business appears reputable and professional.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What Contracts Do I Need for My Customers?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The two primary contracts you need for your customers are:<\/span><\/p>\n<table class=\"lv-table lv-table--style-2\" style=\"border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 21.6527%;\"><b>Type of Contract<\/b><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 39.6504%;\"><b>What type of businesses use this contract<\/b><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 38.6968%;\"><b>Examples of types of businesses<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 21.6527%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.nz\/commercial-contracts\/key-terms-to-review-in-a-service-agreement\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Client or Service Agreements<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 39.6504%;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Service-based businesses primarily use client agreements.\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 38.6968%;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">tradesman;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">building contractors;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">architects;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">consultants; and<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">real estate agents.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 21.6527%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.nz\/commercial-contracts\/key-clauses-sales-terms-and-conditions\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sales Terms and Conditions<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 39.6504%;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Goods-based businesses primarily use sales terms and conditions contracts.\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 38.6968%;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">e-commerce stores;\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">retail stores; and\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">manufacturers.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: inherit;\">Many businesses will only need either a Client Agreement or Sales Terms and Conditions (but not both) depending on the nature of the business.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"box box--info box--icon\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Does your contract require a hybrid document that covers both services and goods?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If your business provides goods AND services, you may need a hybrid customer contract. For example, suppose you are an online-based personal trainer who provides digital instruction on a one-on-one basis and sells pre-recorded web-based video programs. In that case, your terms and conditions will likely include a mixture of terms and conditions used for goods and services.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What Should I Include in the Legal Documents?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Client Agreements and Sales Terms and Conditions should outline: <\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">details of the goods or services you are providing; and<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">how you will be providing these goods or services.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you are entering a client agreement, it should also cover:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">details of the scope of work;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">when you expect to deliver the service by;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">how you will price and invoice your services;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">warranties about the quality of the service; and<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">how your business will resolve disputes.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your sales terms and conditions should cover:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the details of the product you are selling;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">how your business will deliver products and when;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">how you will be paid and when;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">warranties about the quality of the service; and<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the process for refunds and returns.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Contracts for Your Workers<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If your business has <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.nz\/employment\/difference-between-permanent-fixed-term-casual-employee\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">employees<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.nz\/employment\/legal-considerations-for-contracting-in-new-zealand\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">contractors<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, you should be entering into contracts with these people. These contracts are essential to clearly define what sort of assistance you will need and the terms and conditions of their service.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What Contracts Do I Need for My Employees?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">New Zealand businesses can either have workers on board as employees or contractors. As an employer, you can employ workers on a fixed-term, permanent or casual basis. There are certain laws in New Zealand which govern the relationship between employers and employees. These include national standards that ensure that every employee has access to the basic entitlements. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.employment.govt.nz\/starting-employment\/rights-and-responsibilities\/minimum-rights-of-employees\/\">Employment law<\/a> is a complex area as there are certain obligations on you as an employer to protect your employees.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your employment agreement should cover the following:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">remuneration;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">leave entitlements;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">hours of work;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">redundancy entitlements;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">position description; and<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">dismissal and probationary provisions.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What Contracts Do I Need for My Contractors?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Contractors are different from employees because employment-related laws do not cover them. Typically they will be people that are self-employed or employed by another business. They provide their services to your business. The terms of a Contractor\u2019s Agreement are similar to that of a Client Agreement.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"box box--warning box--icon\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You need to be careful to ensure that you are genuinely using a contractor, as there are penalties involved for \u201csham contracting\u201d arrangements. A sham contracting arrangement refers to a situation where you use a contractor, but they are an employee in substance.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"color: #fd6b0d; font-size: 28px;\">Your Internal Legal Documents<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Internal legal documents include those documents that set out how you operate and govern your business internally. The contracts your startup needs will depend on your business structure.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<table class=\" lv-table lv-table--style-1\" style=\"border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr style=\"height: 22px;\">\n<td style=\"width: 50%; height: 22px;\"><b>Structure<\/b><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 50%; height: 22px;\"><b>Internal Legal Documents\u00a0<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 22px;\">\n<td style=\"width: 50%; height: 22px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.nz\/corporations\/sole-trader-3-key-questions\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sole Trader<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 50%; height: 22px;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you are a sole trader, it is unlikely that you will need any of these documents.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 22px;\">\n<td style=\"width: 50%; height: 22px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.nz\/business-structures\/operating-partnership-business-in-new-zealand\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Partnership Agreement<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 50%; height: 22px;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Partnership Agreement<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 22px;\">\n<td style=\"width: 50%; height: 22px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.nz\/business-structures\/3-reasons-to-operate-as-a-company\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Company<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 50%; height: 22px;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">constitution; and<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">shareholders agreement (if you have more than one shareholder).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These contracts are crucial to protecting your startup against any disputes that may arise between your business partners. It also helps to ensure there is a set process for the way you make decisions and the operations of the business as a whole.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<a href=\"#content-next\"\n   class=\"block p-4 mt-10 text-xl font-bold text-center text-white no-underline bg-gray-800 rounded-t-xl\">\n    Continue reading this article below the form\n    <i class=\"text-xl fa-regular fa-arrow-down\"><\/i>\n<\/a>\n<div class=\"px-6 pt-10 pb-12 mb-10 text-center bg-gray-100 rounded-b-xl sm:px-12 test\">\n    <div class=\"mb-8 text-2xl font-bold text-orange\">\n        Need legal advice?\n        <br>\n        <span class=\"text-lg not-prose\">\n                            Call <a href=\"tel:+64800005570\" class=\"not-prose\">0800 005 570<\/a> for urgent assistance.\n                <br>\n                Otherwise, complete this form, and we will contact you within one business day.\n                    <\/span>\n    <\/div>\n\n    \n\n<div class=\"not-prose flex justify-center text-left gform_input_bg_white    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Therefore, you should always seek to protect yourself by entering into a written contract to clarify what your rights and obligations are in that relationship.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here are some examples of the people your business might interact with:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">investors;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">financiers;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">manufacturers;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">distributors;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">suppliers;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">franchisors; and<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">lessors.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If your business interacts with any of these people, it is best practice to consider entering into a written legal contract to document the relationship. This will help you avoid an expensive dispute down the track.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Key Takeaways<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before deciding to transact or interact with someone through your business, you should consider:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">if you have an existing written legal contract in place for that relationship (or if they are asking you to sign one);<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">if you do not have a written legal contract in place yet, putting one in place; and\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">in putting in place a written legal contract, what are the key terms you want the contract to cover (for example, price, deliverable, timing and dispute resolution process).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you have any questions about what contracts your startup needs, contact <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.nz\/contract-lawyers-lp\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">LegalVision\u2019s contract lawyers<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> on 0800 005 570 or fill out the form on this page.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Frequently Asked Questions<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"schema-faq wp-block-yoast-faq-block\"><div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1618365957762\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>I am just a sole trader. Do I need any legal contracts?<\/strong><\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Yes, even if you are operating as a sole trader, your business will still have legal relationships with people, like your customers and suppliers. You should enter into written legal contracts so that it is clear between you and those people, what terms you have agreed to.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1618365978214\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>Do I need a service agreement or sales terms and conditions, or both?<\/strong><\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">It will depend on the goods or service you are providing. Generally, if you are providing a service, you will need a client or service agreement. If you are selling goods, you should have in place sales terms and conditions. If you provide a hybrid service, you may need both types of agreements or a hybrid of both.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1618365989085\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>What contracts does my startup need, apart from ones for my customers and suppliers?<\/strong><\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">You generally need written contracts to document all your business relationships. For example, have you borrowed money or issued shares to investors? You should reflect both of these transactions in written contracts.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1618366000023\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>Can I save money by not having a written contract?<\/strong><\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">You may save money upfront, but ultimately not having a written contract can be very costly. It can lead to uncertainty about what you and the other party are expecting from each other. For example, if you do not have sales terms and conditions, your customers may think you are meant to deliver a different type of product or deliver it within a different timeframe. This can be costly to deal with both from a customer experience perspective and may ultimately lead to an expensive litigious dispute.<\/p> <\/div> <\/div>\n<div class=\"not-prose m-feedback-prompt\">\n    <!-- Thumbs up\/down bar -->\n    <div class=\"m-feedback-prompt__main\">\n        <div class=\"m-feedback-prompt__title\">Was this article helpful?<\/div>\n        <div>\n            <!--span class=\"m-feedback-prompt__button--text\">Thanks!<\/span-->\n            <button type=\"button\" class=\"m-feedback-prompt__button m-feedback-prompt__button--yes\"\n                    data-analytics-link=\"feedback-prompt:yes\" aria-label=\"Agree\">\n                <i class=\"fa-regular fa-thumbs-up fa-3x\"><\/i>\n            <\/button>\n            <button type=\"button\" class=\"m-feedback-prompt__button m-feedback-prompt__button--no\"\n                    data-analytics-link=\"feedback-prompt:no\" aria-label=\"Disagree\">\n                <i class=\"fa-regular fa-thumbs-down fa-3x\"><\/i>\n            <\/button>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <!-- Feedback form -->\n    <div class=\"m-feedback-prompt__form\">\n        <div class=\"m-feedback-prompt__form--thanks \">\n            <div>Thanks!<\/div>\n            <p>\n                We appreciate your feedback \u2013 your submission has been successfully received.            <\/p>\n        <\/div>\n        <form id=\"contact-form\" class=\"m-feedback-prompt__form--form\" action=\"\" method=\"post\">\n            <input type=\"hidden\" id=\"authenticity_token\" name=\"authenticity_token\" value=\"3bc3beddae\" \/><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"_wp_http_referer\" value=\"\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/204515\" \/>            <input value=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.nz\/startups\/contracts-my-startup-needs\/\" type=\"hidden\" name=\"currenturl\"\n                   id=\"currenturl\">\n            <input value=\"What Are the Contracts My Startup Needs in New Zealand?\" type=\"hidden\" name=\"currenttitle\"\n                   id=\"currenttitle\">\n            <label>\n                <!-- display on thumbs-up -->\n                <span class=\"m-feedback-prompt__feedback m-feedback-prompt__feedback--yes\">\n                    Can you tell us <span class=\"font-semibold\">why<\/span> you found it helpful?\n                <\/span>\n\n                <!-- display on thumbs-down -->\n                <span class=\"m-feedback-prompt__feedback m-feedback-prompt__feedback--no text-lg\">\n                    How can we better improve this article?\n                <\/span>\n                <textarea name=\"feedbackmessage\" id=\"feedbackmessage\" required><\/textarea>\n            <\/label>\n\n            <div class=\"m-feedback-prompt__form--error\" id=\"form-submit-error\"><\/div>\n            <button id=\"submit-contact-form-button\" type=\"submit\" name=\"commit\" class=\"m-feedback-prompt__form--submit\"\n                    data-analytics-link=\"feedback-prompt:submit\">\n                Submit            <\/button>\n        <\/form>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Starting a business is no easy feat. You need to price your product, scope the market, secure suppliers, reach your customers and sort out the legals. Ultimately, legal work is an investment in the successful growth of your business. Below, we set out the essential legal contracts your startup needs. These include contracts for: customers,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.nz\/startups\/contracts-my-startup-needs\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"sr-only\">&#8220;What Are the Contracts My Startup Needs in New Zealand?&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13163,"featured_media":201797,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,10],"tags":[24,25,41,75,109,276],"class_list":["post-204515","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-commercial-contracts","category-startups","tag-startup","tag-small-business","tag-commercial-contracts","tag-terms-and-conditions","tag-employment-contract","tag-service-agreement"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.1.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>What Are the Contracts My Startup Needs? | LegalVision New Zealand<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Starting a business is no easy feat. We explain what contracts your startup needs to ensure your business runs smoothly and with ease.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.nz\/startups\/contracts-my-startup-needs\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What Are the Contracts My Startup Needs? | LegalVision New Zealand\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Starting a business is no easy feat. 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