Well spring has almost sprung and, with it, some hopefully good news regarding the wedding industry and the world in general.

Whether it’s been proven by COVID-19, or you’ve had to deal with other unfortunate circumstances with customers over the past few years, the importance of having solid, protective terms and conditions that apply to purchases from your bridal boutique cannot be overstated.

You probably all know that you should have a contract. Heck, most of you probably have one. Here are some of the types of contracts I often see that can be problematic for business owners:

• Drafted by a law firm, go on for 20 pages and full of legal jargon
• Copied from another bridal boutique, and not tailored to your specific business or client base
• Written by you or someone in your team, potentially not legally enforceable and could contain some big holes in terms of your protection

I know that many small business owners run a mile from lawyers. Why wouldn’t you – we all speak in legal jargon and charge a fortune, right? However, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t some lawyers out there who understand your business and the kind of contract your client base actually appreciates. I like to think I am one of them, and these are the types of lawyers you should go to for help in this area.

I believe that your contract should set the tone for your business. It should sound like you have written it. A customer shouldn’t speak to you on the phone and then have an entirely different experience when signing your terms and conditions. It’s all about providing a seamless experience to the customer.

It also doesn’t need to be very long to be effective - often 1-2 pages will do it. That can be all you need to ensure your business is fully protected, whilst giving your customer the reassurance that they are buying from a professional company that takes their obligations seriously.

What should your terms and conditions contain?

Here are some initial thoughts:

• What you are selling (very specifically, so there is no room for doubt)
• What price you are selling items for (and how that price might be changed if needed)
• Consumer protections – are they entitled to a refund? If so, when, and how do they get a refund? What happens if the item is faulty?
• What happens if a customer pays a deposit and then changes their mind, or circumstances change? (I imagine you have all had a lot of these situations to deal with recently)
• If you are sued for something, how much can you be sued for? Is there a ‘limit on your liability’?
• Which legal system governs your contract? Having a contract without words like ‘English law applies’ is like reading a book without knowing the language it’s written in. You just don’t know how to read it; it doesn’t make sense.