Business Consulting Services Terms

Scope of Services

North Averstone provides business consulting and advisory services to small businesses and entrepreneurs. Our work may include strategy development, operational reviews, market positioning, financial planning support, process design, and general management guidance. The specific services for each engagement are described in a proposal, statement of work, or written agreement (an "Engagement Document") agreed between you and us.

If a service is not described in an Engagement Document, it is outside the scope of that engagement. We are happy to expand scope, but additional work is subject to a new or amended Engagement Document and may adjust fees and timelines. Our services are advisory in nature; we provide analysis, recommendations, and guidance, and you remain responsible for the decisions you make and the actions you take.

Engagement and Acceptance

An engagement begins when both parties agree to an Engagement Document, whether by signature, written acceptance, or email confirmation, and, where required, when any initial payment or retainer has been received. Each Engagement Document, together with these Terms, our Payment & Billing Policy, and our Cancellation & Refund Policy, forms the complete agreement for that engagement. If any conflict arises, the Engagement Document controls for the specific matter it describes.

Client Responsibilities

The quality of our advice depends on the quality and timeliness of the information you provide. To help us do our best work, you agree to:

• Provide accurate, complete, and current information about your business when we request it.
• Make available a point of contact with authority to answer questions and make decisions.
• Respond to requests, drafts, and questions within a reasonable time so the engagement can progress.
• Attend scheduled sessions, or reschedule in line with our Cancellation & Refund Policy.
• Ensure you have the right to share any third-party information you provide to us.
• Implement recommendations using your own judgment and, where appropriate, your own professional advisors.

Delays or incomplete information may affect timelines and deliverables, and we are not responsible for outcomes that result from information that is inaccurate, incomplete, or provided late.

Deliverables

Deliverables may include written reports, strategic plans, financial models, process maps, recommendations, and session summaries, as specified in the Engagement Document. Unless stated otherwise, deliverables are prepared for your internal use and are based on the information available and the circumstances at the time they are produced. Business conditions change, and we are not obligated to update deliverables after an engagement ends unless we have agreed to ongoing support.

Where an Engagement Document includes review rounds, revisions beyond those rounds may be treated as additional work. We will let you know before undertaking work that falls outside the agreed scope.

Fees and Payment

Fees, rates, retainers, and payment schedules are set out in the Engagement Document and governed by our Payment & Billing Policy, available at /pages/payment-billing-policy. Unless otherwise agreed, invoices are payable within the stated period, and services may be paused if invoices become overdue. Cancellations, reschedules, and refunds are governed by our Cancellation & Refund Policy at /pages/cancellation-refund-policy.

Intellectual Property

Client materials

You retain ownership of all information, data, and materials you provide to us. You grant us a limited right to use them solely to perform the engagement.

Deliverables

Upon full payment of the fees due for an engagement, you receive ownership of, or a perpetual license to use, the final deliverables prepared specifically for you, for your internal business purposes.

Our know-how and tools

North Averstone retains all rights to its underlying methods, frameworks, templates, models, and general knowledge, including anything we developed before the engagement or that we use across clients. Nothing in these Terms transfers ownership of our proprietary tools and know-how, even where they are reflected in a deliverable.

Confidentiality

We understand that entrepreneurs share sensitive information. Each party agrees to keep the other's non-public information confidential and to use it only for the purposes of the engagement. This obligation does not apply to information that is already public, that a party already lawfully knew, that is independently developed, or that must be disclosed by law. We describe how we handle personal information in our Privacy Policy at /pages/privacy-policy. Our confidentiality commitments continue after the engagement ends.

No Guaranteed Outcomes

Business results depend on many factors outside our control, including your execution, market conditions, competition, timing, and resources. North Averstone provides professional guidance in good faith, but we do not guarantee any specific result, such as revenue growth, cost savings, funding, or profitability. Any examples, projections, or estimates we discuss are illustrative and not promises. You are responsible for evaluating our recommendations and deciding whether and how to act on them. This subject is addressed further in our Professional Disclaimer at /pages/professional-disclaimer.

Not Legal, Financial, or Tax Advice

Our consulting is general business advice. It is not legal, accounting, tax, investment, or other regulated professional advice, and we are not acting as your attorney, accountant, financial advisor, or fiduciary. For matters that require a licensed professional, you should engage one. Where our guidance touches on these areas, it is intended to help you frame questions for your own advisors, not to replace them.

Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, North Averstone is not liable for any indirect, incidental, consequential, special, or punitive damages, or for lost profits, lost revenue, lost business, or lost data, arising out of or relating to our services. Our total aggregate liability for any claim relating to an engagement is limited to the fees you actually paid to us for that engagement in the period giving rise to the claim. These limits reflect the advisory nature of our work and the fact that outcomes depend on your decisions and execution.

Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold North Averstone harmless from claims, damages, and expenses arising from your use of our deliverables, your business decisions, your violation of these Terms, or your provision of information that you did not have the right to share. This does not apply to the extent a claim results from our own gross negligence or willful misconduct.

Term and Termination

An engagement continues until the described work is complete or until terminated. Either party may terminate an engagement with reasonable written notice, as further described in the Engagement Document and our Cancellation & Refund Policy. Upon termination, you agree to pay for services performed and expenses incurred up to the effective date of termination. Provisions that by their nature should survive, including confidentiality, intellectual property, disclaimers, and limitation of liability, continue after termination.

Independent Contractor

North Averstone acts as an independent contractor. Nothing in these Terms creates a partnership, joint venture, employment, or agency relationship between us. We do not have authority to bind you, and you do not have authority to bind us, except as expressly stated in an Engagement Document.

General Provisions

If any provision of these Terms is found unenforceable, the remaining provisions stay in effect. Our failure to enforce a provision is not a waiver of it. You may not assign an engagement without our consent. These Terms and any engagement are governed by the laws applicable where North Averstone operates, without regard to conflict-of-law rules. We may update these Terms from time to time; the version in effect when your engagement begins applies to that engagement, and material changes will be reflected by the "Last updated" date above.