Updating Our Contract: Because Communication > Legalese
Two weeks ago, Peter and I finally took a long-overdue retreat—our first real chance to zoom out and look at the business instead of just surviving inside it.
Since my daughter Serenity was born in March, we’ve been in full-on triage mode: juggling projects, stealing sleep, and running a leaner (but wiser) team. As a result, we’ve stayed focused on client work… but neglected our own infrastructure.
To our surprise, things didn’t fall apart. In fact, most projects moved along smoothly. But the experience revealed something important:
It’s time to update the contract.
The Real Purpose of a Contract
Let’s get this out of the way:
Yes, a contract is your legal fallback. But that’s not its primary purpose—at least not for us.
We’re a service company. Software and design are just the tools. What we really do is help clients succeed, and we do that through strong communication and aligned expectations.
So what happens when a client understands something one way, but our contract technically says something else?
Well, sure—the contract wins on paper. But that doesn’t mean the relationship survives.
Working with clients is a lot like marriage. My wife has said things to me while I’m focused and working that I’ve completely missed. Later, we find ourselves arguing. Whose fault is it?
Mine, for not being present?
Hers, for assuming I was listening?
Yes.
But also… who cares?
What matters is that we reconnect and communicate again.
A contract is meant to facilitate communication—to create clarity and trust upfront, and to act as a safety net when misunderstandings happen later.
Big thanks to Reid for reminding us that walking your client through your contract is more important than just having one. The most valuable part of any contract is the conversation around it.
What’s Changed in Our Contract?
Over the past six months, we’ve run into some tricky situations:
Hosting outages. Missed dependencies. Delayed responses. Hack attempts. Most of these issues could have been solved—or avoided entirely—by early conversation and simple documentation.
So, we updated our terms. These don’t all apply to every client (we tailor contracts based on project type), but the principles are here for reference.
📄 Key Additions to Our Contract
1. Response Time
We work exclusively with independent contractors. This gives us agility and depth—but it also means we don’t offer 24/7 support.
Policy: We aim to respond to inquiries within 48 hours (excluding periods of limited availability). While we do our best to respond quickly, we cannot guarantee immediate action.
2. Third-Party Dependencies
Sometimes project timelines hinge on outside vendors or internal client teams. If their timeline slips, it impacts ours.
Policy: Shane & Peter, Inc. is not liable for delays or quality issues caused by third parties or internal client teams.
3. Hosting
We don’t provide hosting services—except for internal development purposes.
Policy: The client is responsible for selecting, paying for, and maintaining hosting. While we’re happy to offer recommendations, we are not responsible for downtime, performance issues, or security problems stemming from a hosting provider.
4. Backups
We keep internal backups of project code/design files, but these are not a client-facing solution.
Policy: The client is responsible for backing up and restoring their own data. Our backups are for internal archival use only.
5. Security
We build secure systems, but no system is bulletproof.
Policy: We do not guarantee protection from future security breaches. We recommend strong passwords and regular updates. Security-related maintenance post-contract is available for an additional fee or agreement.
6. Contract Review, Expiration & Cancellation
Contracts are living documents, and relationships evolve.
Policy: Each contract is valid for the calendar year in which it’s signed. Either party may terminate with 30 days’ notice. Upon termination, all work and payments will be settled promptly.
Feel Free to Steal This (At Your Own Risk)
Don’t have a contract of your own? Want to borrow bits of ours? Go ahead—steal what you like.
Just keep in mind:
We’re not your lawyer.
We’re not your fallback.
We’re just being generous.
Yes, our lawyer reviewed our contract. But her job is to protect us—not you.
Caveat emptor. Use at your own risk.
📄 Download the Shane & Peter, Inc. Contract Template
We’d Love Your Input
Seen anything we’ve missed? Found a better way to phrase something? We’re always learning and improving, so drop us a note or leave a comment—we’d love to hear your thoughts.
The best contracts aren’t just legal shields.
They’re conversation starters.
They’re how we create strong, lasting relationships with our clients.
And ultimately? That’s what this business is all about.