If you’re hiring an independent contractor, don’t be left without a contract.
Independent contract work employs over 64 million Americans, according to MBO Partners. It provides the flexibility and autonomy many professionals need to thrive. But without a contract, there’s no guarantee of work. Create terms for your next working arrangement with a client by using our free independent contractor agreement template.
An independent contractor agreement is an official written document between a contractor and a business that outlines the scope, pay, dates, and other details of the engagement so both parties are on the same page regarding work expectations.
As the name suggests, these agreements are used for independent contractors — not freelancers or standard W2 employees. In case there’s any confusion, here’s a quick breakdown of the key differences:
Depending on your industry, you may also hear an independent contractor agreement referred to as one of the following:
Both independent contractors and the businesses that hire them will benefit from a written agreement. Here’s how:
As an independent contractor, an agreement between you and the company hiring you is incredibly important. It’s a guarantee of the scope of work, payment terms, and length of the engagement. Without one, you may be terminated early or given fewer hours than originally agreed upon. If you’re relying on steady hours and income, a contract is non-negotiable.
As a small business looking to hire an independent contractor, you have certain work expectations that need to be met. You want to make sure you find the best talent for the job requirements.
With a written independent contractor agreement, you’ll have these expectations in a concrete, enforceable form that you can reference for any reason. Perhaps expectations aren’t being met, the contractor is trying to back out early, or there’s a payment dispute. With an agreement, there’s no confusion on the parameters of your partnership, which is valuable liability protection for your business.
Our template contains all the details you’ll need in your contractor agreement. Here’s a high-level overview of what you should expect to see:
Looking for other resources to help as you grow your business as an independent contractor? We’ve carefully curated the documents and info you’ll need in our template library and business resources page.