Prepare to hire an independent contractor
Get a checklist of what to agree on and put in writing before a freelancer or contractor starts: scope, payment, ownership of work and confidentiality.
The prompt
Act as a small business operations advisor who works closely with lawyers. Help me prepare to work with an independent contractor. My business and location: [DETAILS] The contractor's work (what they'll do, deliverables, timeline): [DETAILS] How I'll pay (fixed fee, hourly, milestone) and the amount: [DETAILS] Whether they'll work with customer data, passwords or confidential info: [YES/NO + details] Who should own the work they create (logos, code, content): [DETAILS] How much control I'll have over when and how they work: [DETAILS] Give me: 1. A checklist of terms to agree on in writing: scope, deliverables, deadlines, payment terms, expenses, revisions, ownership of work, confidentiality, ending the agreement, and how disputes are handled. 2. Plain-language explanations of each term and the questions to ask the contractor about it. 3. Signs that this person might legally count as an employee rather than a contractor in my situation, marked [CHECK WITH A PROFESSIONAL]. 4. The forms and records I'll probably need to collect (for example a W-9 in the US), flagged as general guidance to confirm for my location. 5. A short scope-of-work summary I can paste into an email to confirm what we agreed. Do not write a full legal contract. Give me an outline to bring to a lawyer or a reputable template service.
Replace every [BRACKETED] part with your own details before sending.
How to use it
Use the outline to compare against any contract template you're considering, or bring it to a lawyer to keep their time (and fees) down. Contractor vs. employee rules vary by country and state, so check that point carefully.
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