Things You'll Need:
- a lawyer a basic idea of your services a pricing structure
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Step 1
Decide if the contract will cover hourly rates or a flat fee for each service rendered. Establish the dollar amount. Once this is set in the contract, each party is bound to the agreed-upon fee.
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Step 2
Write in all of the printers, servers and workstations to be covered in the contract. Both parties must agree which pieces of equipment will be covered. Include a clause that requires service on new equipment to be added in writing to ensure that there is a common understanding if more items must be added after the contract is signed.
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Step 3
Set a response time for service after a request is sent. The normal response time is 4 days, but the contract should stipulate that in the event there are delays in service by either party, a new service date for the request must be agreed upon within 3 business days so the request does not become an emergency service call.
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Step 4
Schedule preventative maintenance calls on a quarterly basis to minimize the need for service requests and emergency calls. This allows you to spot potential problems during the scheduled call. This preventative maintenance should include any software back-ups or required upgrades for proper system operation.
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Step 5
Write a confidentiality agreement into the contract to ensure that no network or data-related details are released to third parties. This is also known as a nondisclosure agreement, and it can be separate from the main maintenance contract.
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Step 6
Decide if you want to write a Proactive Maintenance agreement with the contract. This part of the contract will cover the monitoring of free disk space, printers and error logs. You can also include management of directories and structures.
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Step 7
Have a lawyer review the contract to ensure that it can be enforced. Ask the lawyer to check for any loopholes or missing portions that should be fixed before the contract is finalized.
