Hey friends! If you’re a health, wellness, nutrition, fitness, life, business (etc.!) coach, you’re going to want to read this. Do you offer freebies or opt-in materials through your site or social media? Or maybe you host webinars, give talks, or offer workshops? If you hand out, send, or present any materials to potential/current clients or your email list, you need to protect your business with what I call a “mini-disclaimer”.

Why You Need A Mini-Disclaimer

Think about it…

When you offer a webinar, you have no idea who’s on the other end of the line. Sure, you might have her email address or first name, but you don’t know what kind of shape she’s in, what type of business she may have, or what her expectations are of you.

If you send out a freebie like a PDF, handout, checklist, ebook, workbook, or some other download from your website or social media channels, you don’t know whose hands it’ll end up in. Sure, hopefully the person who downloads it reads it – but she might also send it to a friend or family member to check out.

Or maybe you even write blog posts (like this one!) and hope that it reaches as many people as possible.

And that’s all GREAT news! We want people reading our stuff. We want them sending it to friends & sharing it with people who can use it.

But what we don’t want is it ending up in the hands of someone who doesn’t clearly know who you are, what you do, and what you don’t do upfront.

So that’s where a mini-disclaimer comes in. It’s a few paragraphs of legal mumbo jumbo (as I like to call it!) that goes on the back of a handout, the bottom of a checklist, the beginning or end of a webinar/talk, the sidebar of your blog, etc. It’s meant to protect you + your business by letting people know upfront who you are and what they should do with the info you’re about to give them.

So what does a mini-disclaimer do for you exactly?

It clearly defines who you are, what you do, and what you don’t. If you’re a health coach, it’s important people know you’re not a doctor. If you’re an entrepreneur who used to be a practicing lawyer and now offers DIY legal templates (HI!), you want to make it clear you’re an attorney, not their attorney.

So what does that really mean?

Well, if someone clearly understands what you really do upfront, then they can take that information into mind when deciding to…

• work with you as their health coach
• try your recipe
• test your workout
• hire you as their business coach
• take those new vitamins you recommended or endorsed, etc.

It’s super important (from a legal and business perspective!) that someone understands who you really are, your credentials, what you offer, and when you advise them to check with someone else. Having proof that you told someone before they read something you wrote or said can make all the difference.

So instead of just putting content out there and hoping & wishing that someone reads your “About” page or bio and knows you’re a health coach via IIN, the mini-disclaimer puts it out there right in front of them.

A mini-disclaimer doesn’t just clearly define who you are, it also does a number of important legal things, like…

• disclaim liability (say you’re not responsible if they move forward & try something you recommend)
• clearly lay out that you don’t make any guarantees
• let people know that, although you do your best, by the time some post/handout/presentation reaches their hands or ears, it may not be accurate or up-to-date anymore
• give people a point of contact if they have any questions

My 2 DIY mini-disclaimer templates for health/wellness coaches and business coaches clearly and succinctly lay all of this out there for you. Each mini-disclaimer comes with a How-To Video Tutorial, a screen share video where I walk you through not only where to put in your info as you fill-in-the-blanks, but also translating the document to real English so you can make it your own.

My goal is to empower you to truly own these documents. I want you to download them and be able to use them not just now, but as your business grows. Each time you create a new handout, product, blog, or talk, you can customize it and use it as your own. They’re yours for life.

Plus, I’m always here to guide you along the way.

Mini-Disclaimer v. Website Disclaimer

Oh, and in case you’re wondering — YES! A mini-disclaimer is different than a website disclaimer. A website disclaimer is for your website, while a mini-disclaimer is for your handouts or presentations. A full-website disclaimer is meant to cover your overall website, content, pages, etc., since you never know who’s reading + when. A website disclaimer is super long, unlike a mini-disclaimer, which is exactly that: mini! It’s not meant to scare people away, but just to protect your business on a basic level as you pass documents/talks out.

So what are you waiting for? No more sending out handouts, PDFs, or talks without any legal protection. Let’s get you covered, friend! You can grab the mini-disclaimer for your freebies in my template shop here or as part of the Ultimate Bundle.

Ready to take the next step to legally protect your business? 

Watch my free workshop ‘5 Steps to Legally Protect & Grow Your Online Business’ to learn my 5-step strategy to getting paid, sending legit contracts that cover you and so much more! Grab your seat now here:

But please remember…
Use of this information or any other products on samvanderwielen.com do not establish an attorney-client relationship between you and Sam Vander Wielen. The information contained herein does not constitute legal advice – it’s simply legal information and education. Always work with a local attorney licensed in your state where you live and do business to be sure you are in compliance with your state and local laws. Sam is licensed to practice law in the State of New Jersey and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.