The documents that prevent most payment disputes
Nearly every unpaid-invoice fight in a service business comes down to the same thing: nobody wrote down what was agreed. The scope was verbal, the change was agreed in a driveway, and now the client remembers it differently than you do.
A written service agreement fixes scope, price, payment terms and what happens if either side stops. An estimate template puts the same terms in front of the client before work starts. A change order makes "while you're here, can you also…" into a priced, signed addition rather than free work you resent.
These are not complicated documents. They just have to exist before the job, not after the argument.
Checking your name before you commit to it
A preliminary trademark search looks at the federal trademark register and at business name records for conflicts with the name you want to trade under. It is not a legal opinion and it is not a registration. It is the check that tells you whether you are about to invest in a name someone else already owns.
The cost of finding out early is an afternoon. The cost of finding out after the truck wrap, the signage, the shirts, the domain and two years of word of mouth is considerably more.
If the search turns up something, we tell you plainly and point you to a trademark attorney. Filing a registration is attorney work, and attorney filing fees are separate from our fee.
Signs you need this
- A client disputed what was agreed and nothing was in writing.
- You have done free extra work because there was no change order.
- You are about to wrap a truck and print shirts with a new name.
- A commercial client sent you their contract and you just signed it.
- You are not sure your estimates say anything about payment terms.
- Someone else in your area is trading under a similar name.
If two or more of these sound familiar, take the free business checkup — ten questions, two minutes, and you get the list of gaps either way.
How it works
Name check
Preliminary federal trademark search and state business name check before you invest in the name.
Build the templates
Service agreement, estimate and change order written for how your trade actually sells work.
Set your terms
Scope, price, payment terms, deposits and what happens if either side stops.
Escalate when needed
If the search turns something up, or a contract is unusual, we tell you and point you to an attorney.
What is included
- Service agreement template for your trade
- Estimate and proposal templates with terms
- Change order template
- Preliminary federal trademark search on your business name
- Business name availability check in your state
- A written summary of anything the search turns up
All of this sits inside one package — the Whitelow Launch + Back Office Partnership — rather than being quoted as a separate service.
Who it is for
- Owners who sell work verbally or on a one-line estimate
- Anyone about to invest in signage, wraps or merchandise
- Businesses moving into commercial work with bigger contracts
- Owners who keep absorbing unpaid scope changes
What affects the price
Whitelow sells one package with two ways to pay: $2,497 one-time plus $597 a month, or $0 up front in exchange for a 15% stake in the LLC. Government fees and your QuickBooks subscription are passed through at cost on both. These are the factors that move what this piece of the work involves:
| Factor | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Number of templates | Most trades need three. Some sell in more than one way and need more. |
| Search depth | A preliminary search is included. A full clearance opinion is attorney work. |
| Registration | Filing a federal trademark is attorney work, and the attorney filing fees are separate from our fee. |
| Review of existing contracts | Reviewing agreements you already signed takes longer than drafting fresh ones. |
See both payment options side by side, including what each one costs in year one.
Frequently asked questions
Are these templates legal advice?
No. We are not a law firm and these are templates, not legal advice. They cover the common ground for a small service business. If you have an unusual situation, a large commercial contract or a dispute, you want an attorney, and we will tell you when we think that is the case.
What does a preliminary trademark search cover?
It covers the federal trademark register and state business name records for conflicts with your proposed name. It is a risk check, not a clearance opinion and not a registration. A full clearance search and a federal filing are attorney work.
Should I trademark my business name?
It depends on how far you plan to operate and how much the name will be worth. For a business working one metro area, a state registration and a clean name check often cover the practical need. If you plan to franchise, expand across states, or build the name into real equity, a federal registration is worth talking to an attorney about.
What does this cost separately?
Contract templates plus a preliminary trademark search commonly run in the range of $500 to $1,000 when bought separately, with any attorney filing fees on top. Both are part of the launch work in the Whitelow partnership.
Can you review a contract a client sent me?
We can read it with you and flag the commercial terms — scope, payment, deposits, termination — in plain English. For a legal opinion on it, you want an attorney, and on a large or unusual contract we will say so.
How long does a trademark registration take?
Federal registration commonly takes many months and is handled by an attorney, not by us. The preliminary search we run takes days and is about avoiding an expensive mistake, not about registering anything.