Risk management tips for copywriters

• Use terms and conditions or a contract (preferably your own): Having a formal agreement in place will help matters significantly should a problem arise at a later date.
• Specifications or statement of work: Try to document timescales for work, client requirements and any changes to deadlines, and share this document with your client. This will help to manage expectations.
• Client sign off: Get your clients to sign off at every stage. If you’re employed to improve the copywriting of a brochure or website that has already been created by your client, ensure that the client signs off on the content. You don’t want to be involved in a dispute if an employee of your client’s business has plagiarised the content from a competitor of theirs.
• Websites and search engine optimisation (SEO): If you’re working on a website, SEO is often critical to its success. Keywords and copywriting need to work hand in hand. Be sure that your statement of work makes it clear the SEO is your clients’ responsibility.
• Employees: If you employ any staff, make sure they are clear on all of the above and supervised their work where you feel necessary and dependent on experience.
• Sub-contracting: If you do pass your work on to business associates when you are too busy and vice versa, you should ideally have a contract, even if you have a very close working relationship. If you don’t, at minimum ensure a written agreement or statement of work is in place. For ultimate protection insist your sub-contractors hold professional indemnity.

Find out more about protecting your copywriting business.