Startup Business Resources - Legal Agreements

We have put together a number of sample agreements you may need for your startup business. Employment Agreements, Non-Disclosure Agreements or Confidentiality Agreements (NDA's), Non-Compete Agreements and Consulting Agreements.

All are free to download and use as you see fit. Many are industry specific and many are generic samples but they will give you a good idea of what they should look like and what should be included. Some are actual agreements used by both large and small businesses.

Be sure and read "Non-Compete, Non-Disclosure, & Non-Solcitation Clauses in Colorado Law" which is located on the Non-Compete page to find out how the local court system views them. We do not recommend or endorse any particular one, so you are free to pick and choose as you see fit.

Why Do You Need Employment Agreements?

For many companies today, one of their most valuable assets is their Intellectual Property (IP). Companies must take the necessary steps to protect this asset, as they would any physical asset. At the the same time, they must use it, which usually requires sharing it with others inside the business.

After losing valuable employees and Intellectual Property to their competitors, many employers are asking employees to sign non=compete or non-disclosure agreements. By signing an agreement, the employee agrees not to work for a direct competitor for a specified period of time after he or she leaves the company, or divulge any proprietary information. These are actually quite common in the High-Tech sector.

What About a Consulting Agreement?

Operating a consulting business can be a risky proposition. When you land a new client you need to protect yourself with an agreement. Not only does this protect you, it also protects your business and insures you will get paid for the services you provide. If you have never prepared a consulting agreement you could possibly use a template to help ensure that you do not make the mistake of omitting critical information that could rise up and bite you on the back-end. It is always best to consult with an attorney, but if money is an obstacle, using a template is better than nothing at all. Some situations will require that you not only have a consulting agreement, but also sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) as well.