Earlier this summer I wrote a blog about what your online business realistically needs to get up, running, booking clients and accepting payments. Nothing crazy, complex or expensive. No comparison games to those who may be building something a little bigger or more technical than you. Because remember, you’re talking to the girl who is a firm believer that your website really only needs to have a few things for your business to be successful.
But lately I’ve been getting tons of questions (like more than ever) about Terms of Service, Liability Waivers, your website, and how all of these crazy legal requirements differ based on what you're offering. Coaching programs (like mine!) are different than multi-week challenges, and both are totally different than a membership based program.
Below I’m breaking down the different business scenarios and what your website and business needs to have. If you’re not sure what a Liability Waiver, Terms of Service (also known as Terms and Conditions) or Privacy Policy is, I highly recommend going back to the original post to understand what they are and why they’re important.
I’m doing an IG Live on this also, and linking it for you, so you can read, watch or listen - however you can get the info you need, it’s here for you!
If Clients Book and Pay Online for 1:1 training or group classes (virtual)...
...your Terms and Conditions:
Should communicate with your clients the policies and procedures for scheduling, paying, cancelling, auto-debiting payments, terminating their accounts, etc
-This should be in your checkout process AND live at the bottom of your page.
...your Privacy Policy:
Should be clear as to what personally identifiable information is collected, used and stored.
...your Liability Waiver
Should, in addition to other Waiver language, explicitly state that clients are training in a virtual, remote, or online environment and that a trainer won’t be physically present. It should place the extra burden of caution onto the client to follow instructions, and to be extra mindful of one’s body.
Should be part of the checkout process and clients should “check the box” to agree to the terms when booking a class or creating an account.
If Clients Book and Pay Online for 1:1 training or group classes (in-person):
...your Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy are the same as above
...your Liability Waiver:
Should discuss equipment, ingress and egress to the workout space,
If You Offer a Multi-Week Challenge or program:
...your Terms and Conditions:
Should be clear on the refund policy, as well as there being no guarantee re: results.
...your Liability Waiver:
Should address that workouts are spanning across multiple weeks and might incrementally increase in difficulty. Encourage participants to listen to their bodies and provide modifications when possible.
If You Offer On-Demand Workouts via a Library:
...your Liability Insurance:
Might not cover you. Many insurance providers changed their policies this year to exclude virtual training and streaming/on-demand training. Double check with your provider. If you don’t have Liability Insurance yet? Definitely get on it.
Hope this answers some questions about what you need for your unique business and program, but if it doesn’t, shoot me an email and let’s get you settled.
And while I do not believe in sales, I do believe in taking care of my people - if you’re reading this and you’re ready to *finally* get your TnC, Privacy Policy and Waiver in place, email me ASAP. I’ll get you a very special (and very limited) Friends and Family pricing for your custom documents so you, your clients, and your business are protected, covered and running smoothly.
x, D