Mainebiz

W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 9 J U N E 1 4 , 2 0 2 1 Northern Light Health in Brewer an- nounced that it increased its minimum starting rate to $15 an hour across the organization. Bangor Savings Bank opened Bangor Wealth Management of New Hampshire LLC at 82 North Main Street in Concord, N.H. The Maine Venture Fund, a state-spon- sored venture capital fund based in Newport, announced that Nyle Systems LLC, a Brewer company that develops heat pump-driven products for indus- trial processes, has repurchased the fund's ownership stake and will use the resulting capital to invest in other Maine companies. Covenant Health announced that it signed a definitive agreement to pro- ceed with the acquisition of Bangor Nursing & Rehabilitation Center fol- lowing 10 years of collaboration and partnership between the two not-for- profit healthcare organizations. Final approval of the agreement is pending review by the Department of Health and Human Services for the State of Maine. Working with you, for you, to help you make the right decisions about one of your most important concerns - your money. WE THINK YOU SHOULD REALLY AND TRUST YOUR ACCOUNTANT Like READY FOR A FRESH AGGROACH TO ACCOUNTIN? Auburn / Madison / Norway LET'S CONNECT. Schedule a consultation : AustinPA.com 2 0 2 1 M A I N E H R C O N V E N T I O N LOGGED IN FOR TRAINING & NETWORKING 706 PEOPLE 4,061 BUSINESS CARDS SHARED IN THE EXPO $5,341 DONATED TO CHARITABLE CAUSES M A I N E H R C O N V E N T I O N . C O M Your destination for HR training, networking and recertification A S K AC E A n s w e r e d b y C a r r i e Y a r d l e y The Association for Consulting Expertise (ACE) is a non-profit association of independent consultants who value "Success through Collaboration." The public is welcome to attend its regular meetings to share best practices and engage with industry experts. For more information go to www.consultexpertise.com. Q: I've worked remotely for over a year now, and now that everyone embraces remote technology, I've been thinking about taking on some side gigs. One potential client would like to start a project soon, and I'd like to start out with a professional proposal. What "legalese" do I absolutely need to include to make it enforceable once the client signs? ACE Advises: Everyone hates legalese, so why do you want to sound like a law- yer? Use plain English. When contracts fall apart it is usually because the parties have different expectations, not because of missing magic words. You have my per- mission never to use whereas, wherefore, whereunder, whereof, such, heretofore, in witness whereof, aforementioned, said, whereupon, parties of the first or thou- sandth part, and anything Latin. Focus on Specificity, Measurability, Achievability, Reality, and Timeliness. Sound familiar? These are the same S.M.A.R.T. goals used in project planning. Specificity: Here's a truly awful descrip- tion — "Taking into account a multi- faceted approach, gather and report on possible project risk in timing." What facets? What kind of risks? What is "risk in timing?" Name the facets. Identify the risks. Measurability: Never forget that service providers' deliverables descriptions are written for the client. Tell your client what topics your report will address, what data will you gather, and how you will present it. Achievability/reality: Under-promise and over-deliver. Service providers can avoid "scope creep" by identifying what is NOT included. Timeliness: Use specific dates and times, but don't expect the world to cooperate. If timing depends on mat- ters outside of your control or on the cli- ent providing something, say so. Timely payment should be one of the terms. Once you've added your pricing, and your client has agreed, 90% of the time you will have an enforceable agreement. I recommend that you run your first attempt by your lawyer, who may have useful legal terms and strategies to add and will collaborate with you on a" safe to sign" standard template. Carrie Green Yardley is an attorney at Yardley Esq. PLLC, a law firm providing services to small businesses and their owners from start- up through estate planning. She can be reached at carrie@yardleyesq.com For more on this topic, see "Drafting Your Scope of Work: A Checklist" at consultexpertise.com/ blog/10517202 @

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