#77 Running Retreats - What You Need to Know, Legally
More and more businesses are running retreats in the post-lockdown world. It’s easy to see why - they’re fun, profitable and offer huge value for every participant.
But what do you need to do legally for retreats?
In this episode, I’m discussing exactly what you need to know, in terms of legal obligations, when running retreats in your business. We’ll go over your terms and conditions thoroughly and I’ll provide all of the most important inclusions that you absolutely MUST have in your documents.
Prevention is better than cure and it’s no different for retreats. We don’t want a participant demanding a refund at the end of the retreat because their expectations weren’t met.
This episode is perfect for you if you’re running retreats or looking at running them in the future. You might not have thought of every inclusion, clause or obligation under Consumer Law that we’re exploring so grab a pen and write them all down.
Above all, it’s not a one size fits all approach. You don’t know what you don’t know so I strongly encourage you to engage a business lawyer when writing your terms and conditions and stay away from templates or copying someone else.
TOPICS DISCUSSED AND WHERE TO FIND THEM:
[1:45]: If you’re running a retreat in your business, you need terms and conditions for your retreat. These need to be issued to the participants AND they must be in accordance with the Consumer Law.
[2:16]: Your terms and conditions need to include: #1 Outline precisely what you’re providing (including/excluding). #2 What are the fees/payment plan (state GST), when the payment is due, deposit, instalments - final payment due. #3 Cancellation policy.
[4:00]: Under Consumer Law, you must provide this information to consumers in a specific way and BEFORE they decide to engage with you.
[4:25]: #4 Cooling Off Period. #5 Informed Consent, Informed Decision and responsibility provisions.
[5:18]: The terms and conditions are used as a way to manage the expectations of participants before they get there.
[5:41]: #6 Any changes that might eventuate must be identified in a clause in the terms and conditions. #7 Is alcohol able to be consumed? #8 Confidentiality (consent if wish to include photos on social media). #9 Standard indemnities and release clauses (a release and waiver form needs to be signed in addition to the terms and conditions).
[8:18]: Use this episode to do a self-audit of your own terms and conditions. It is not a one size fits all approach. Engage a business lawyer to create your own unique terms and conditions
LINKS:
Check out my course Getting Paid Made Easy here
Get your copy of my Annual Legal Checklist here
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