Independent Contractors: What they REALLY are and Why the Government is cracking down

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Independent Contractors: What they REALLY are and Why the Government is cracking down

Did you know-- despite what you call them-- that your Wedding & Event Biz's “independent contractors” may actually be employees? 

Say whaaaaat?

Yep. And misclassification can have some pretty tough consequences for both the company and the worker, including fines, back wages due, reimbursement for overtime and minimum wage payments, payment of back taxes, fines for state income taxes, and more. So in this "1099 Economy," how do we know who is what anymore?!…

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If I have a domain, do I have the trademark? Domains vs. Trademarks

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If I have a domain, do I have the trademark? Domains vs. Trademarks

So many times people come through my door for trademark applications saying, “It’s probably fine, I got the domain name.”

And guess what?

That means almost nothing to me. Nada.

That’s because a domain name and a trademark have very little to do with one another.

Are they second cousins? Sure!

But in reality, people don’t really realize just how far apart they are. And many— MANY— folks are shocked when I tell them that just because you have— or don’t have— a domain doesn’t typically mean squat when it comes to trademarks.

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What does "Indemnification" mean?

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What does "Indemnification" mean?

Take a look at a well written contract and you’ll probably notice a section with the word “INDEMNIFICATION.”

But once you start reading, your eyes kind of glaze over and things get…. confusing.

But indemnification— and agreeing to indemnify someone— is important. Like…. REALLY important. Like tens of thousands of dollars important 👀

So let’s take a crash course in indemnification and exactly WHAT it is you’re agreeing to— or having your clients agree to. >>>

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How to Hire a "Day Of" Assistant or Second Shooter

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How to Hire a "Day Of" Assistant or Second Shooter

Having a sidekick is AWESOME. They are that person that’s always there to have your back on event days. They hold the utility belt of emergency supplies. They fluff the dress. They hold the veil for that epic “veil shot". Heck, maybe they also bring you snacks when you’re getting hangry from herding groomsmen.

But what do you need to do to get one of these mystical unicorns? 🦄🦄🦄

Legally speaking, there’s going to be some bases you DEFINITELY want to cover. Let’s dive in.

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What Now? A #WeddingPros Guide to Post-Covid Events

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What Now? A #WeddingPros Guide to Post-Covid Events

"🎼What Comes Next? / You’ve been freed / Do you know how hard it is to lead?

Your on your own/ Awesome, WOW! / Do you have a clue what happens now?🎶

…well… do ya?

The world is starting to open back up.

You feel like your hands are tied, you don’t know what to do, and you don’t want to do the “wrong” thing. But…. you’ve got to start working again. Events are happening. So…..what do we do now? How do event pros proceed? And where do we go from here?

What comes next?

Let’s get into it….

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[FREE SAMPLE COVID-19 WAIVER] - Do I need a COVID Waiver for Weddings and Events? HOT TAKE

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[FREE SAMPLE COVID-19 WAIVER] - Do I need a COVID Waiver for Weddings and Events? HOT TAKE

Now that the world is beginning to open back up, I’m hearing a LOT of questions about liability waivers. “Do I need a liability waiver for my events!?” is now the hottest topic in my instagram DMs.

What’s a liability waiver? It’s a document someone signs that essentially says “I agree that you aren’t liable for me getting hurt/ injured/ dying.” It sets you, a provider, up as “not responsible” for something happening.

But…. are these effective? Are they even enforceable? And….. spoiler alert: what’s a better option?

I have a hot take. 🔥 And A DOWNLOAD of free language for ya. Let’s do it.

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Got Time? 5 Free (or VERY cheap) Legal Tasks For Your Small Business.... FROM HOME!

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Got Time? 5 Free (or VERY cheap) Legal Tasks For Your Small Business.... FROM HOME!

In our very official Instagram Poll, it seemed as though people needed a break from COVID-related resources. ASK AND YOU SHALL RECIEVE!

We all have unexpected TIME on our hands right now. And TIME is a great thing!

We can check off those boxes for admin tasks we have been avoiding, forgetting, or just plain ignoring because “I can’t worry about that right now,” or “I’ll wait until off season to do that.” So while we’re stuck in the house, let’s get some things taken care of!

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Step-by-Step Guide to Handling Client Wedding & Event Cancellations due to COVID-19

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Step-by-Step Guide to Handling Client Wedding & Event Cancellations due to COVID-19

At this point, we are starting to see the refund demands roll in. Clients are panicked, upset, and their dream day has been tainted. And unfortunately, they are taking a lot of that out on their vendors.

And despite our best efforts to #postponedontcancel, some clients are pulling the plug and demanding refunds.

So what’s a wedding pro to do?

As someone who likes to PLAN PLAN PLAN, I want to know how to handle worst case scenarios. I research. I prepare my process. And I know a lot of you are like me.

So let’s walk through the eye of the storm together so we can get to the other side already. Here’s how we’ll do it, step by step.

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Master Resource List for Event Pros & Creatives dealing with COVID-19

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wedding-pros-coronavirus-resources.png

LAST UPDATED 3-15
This started off as exclusive to our email list, but as things have grown, I’ve decided to make a regularly-updated master list located on the blog. Please leave additional resources as you see them, and comment with the link below! Feel free to share.

Event-Industry Focused

Our Facebook/ Instagram Live talking about your contracts and force majeure clauses, as well as what questions to ask your insurance providers

Our POSTPONEMENT TEMPLATE for you to #PostponeNotCancel those events. We’ve cut the cost and ALSO provided a $99 credit with purchase.

Our Contract Flowchart to explain where you are with your contracts vs. COVID-19 and how to work through cancellations/ postponements

Event Safety Alliance: What your organization should be doing to prepare for COVID-19

Every Last Detail has email templates to share with your couples so they can send those tough emails to wedding guests

The Abundance Group has created this Cash Flow ideas guide to help wedding pros create more income during this time

Kinsey at @shecreatesbusiness has also compiled a list of important resources for wedding pros

Contract “Stuff”

Our articles on Force Majeure and the Current Corona situation.

My babe Paige on what contract clauses to look for moving forward (via The Legal Paige)

My girl Rachel’s podcast talking about where we are right now and where we move as entrepreneurs (via Business Bites with Rachel Brenke)

Rachel’s article on COVID-19 for Photography Businesses

A great IG post from fellow law lady Brittany Ratelle summing it all up nicely (via Instagram/ @brittanyratelle)

Small Business Focused

The SBA is offering low interest rate disaster relief loans to small businesses affected by COVID-19 (3.75%).  These could be very helpful to make payroll, pay installment payments,keep lights on, etc. You can apply online at the SBA website. To help your odds of getting one of these loans, you should document, document, document every expense, refund, and issue that arises due to COVID-19.’


Tech

Google is providing free enterprise-level tools, including *webinar features* and the ability to record/ save calls to Gsuite users for free until July 1, 2020. This might be a good time to put on that webinar you've been thinking about!

Facebook has provided toolkits and action guides to help businesses.

Cisco Webex is offering the free version of its Webex service with no time restrictions. In addition, it will allow up to 100 meeting participants and has added toll-free dial-in features with a 90-day license for businesses that are not already customers

How to host a live event via Vimeo

How to host a WatchParty on Facebook

Accessible online teaching in a time of COVID-19


Dealing with Money and Finances

How musicians (and other creatives too) can transition their business online ASAP

Gig Cancellations: Survival Tips for Freelancers

If you can’t make payments on your Student Loans (Government Loans, not sure how this will work for private)

Comcast providing free “Internet Essentials” service for 60 days during outbreak

Gigs Cancelled because of Coronavirus? Tips and Advice (with no sales pitch)

Mental Health Resources

Coronavirus Anxiety Toolkit via Virus Anxiety

Or, as always, Text 741741 to talk with a crisis counselor at Crisis Text Line—it’s free, confidential, and available 24/7.

Make A Plan: Free 60 min consult with no sales pitch via Lisa Husseini, with the caveat that she’s not a psychologist, just someone who can help you plan instead of getting stuck in the anxiety spiral

Kids are Great, but I still need to Get Stuff Done

Vanessa Kynes’ “30+ things to keep kids busy while you work from home”

150+ Things to Occupy your Kids while Parents are Working Remotely (Spreadsheet that is rapidly growing)


Comment below with additional resources— we will keep adding to this list!

Corona Virus, Weddings & Events, and Force Majeure

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Corona Virus, Weddings & Events, and Force Majeure

Let’s talk about it: the Corona Virus. 😬

It’s been about a month since the spread of COVID-19, aka Coronavirus, started really taking hold. We’re starting to see unprecedented travel restrictions and supply chain interruptions that are causing a ripple-effect into other areas, causing clients and businesses to reschedule conferences, travel, meetings, and events. Heck, there’s talk of postponing the 2020 Olympics in Japan.

And while we shouldn’t panic about Coronavirus, we do need to proactively plan for its effect on our businesses. Part of this is understanding what your contact says when it comes to emergencies.

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How to Keep that Nonrefundable Deposit if your Client Cancels/ Postpones

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How to Keep that Nonrefundable Deposit if your Client Cancels/ Postpones

No one ever wants to think that their Client’s wedding or event won’t happen. But the reality is that engagements are broken off and events are cancelled due to weather, planning issues, slow ticket sales, or other considerations.

You, however, have held that spot in your schedule. You’ve started preparing for the event, and have put in some legwork. Depending on the date, you may have turned down other work to ensure your availability for that event (10/10/20, anyone?!). This is why you have that nonrefundable deposit clause!

But in order to safeguard that nonrefundable deposit (I also like to use the word Retainer, simply because of the you’ve got to detail the exact formula for the client based on several situations. Let’s talk through them:

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Do I Need a Third Party Payer Agreement?

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Do I Need a Third Party Payer Agreement?

Events, especially weddings, can be a family affair.

It’s not uncommon for mom, dad, or Great Aunt Sally to pay for some of the services offered by wedding pros. But if mom and dad are paying, who signs the contract? And…. who is technically the client??

Well, with no agreement to the contrary, Mom/ Dad/ Aunt Sally MIGHT be considered your client. They might have rights. They might NOT. They MAY be able to sue you under the agreement if they aren’t happy with your service. They can PROBABLY demand a refund of a non-refundable deposit …. yikes!! And the couple? Well….. they might not actually be your client AT ALL. 🤯……

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What Should I do if a Client Asks to Change my Contract?

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What Should I do if a Client Asks to Change my Contract?

We’ve all been there: you’ve invested time and money into the perfect contract. You’ve gotten it all set in you CRM system. You’ve formatted it so the alignment is perfect and those SmartFields are poppin.🙌

And then… a client wants to change something. 🙄

What should you do? Should you accept the change? And….. how do you even MAKE the change without messing up your contract?

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Contracts: 4 Things to Know about "Force Majeure"/ "Acts of God"

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Contracts: 4 Things to Know about "Force Majeure"/ "Acts of God"

HAPPY HURRICANE SEASON!

Florence is bearing down on the East Coast, so today, we’re talking about "Acts of God," aka Force Majeure events.  You might have noticed this word in the boring-AF parts at the end of our contract templates or in any other contract drafted by an attorney.  So what is this, and why is it so important?

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