Why Ts & Cs are vital when buying a business

Robert Orkney Harrison Drury

When buying a new business, there are likely to be many matters occupying your to-do list.

Ensuring you have a well-drafted, robust set of terms and conditions may not seem a priority, but they will provide your business and its clients with standardisation, clarity and consistency around your offering and how you intend to sell or supply it.

Your terms and conditions govern the relationship between you and your clients. In the form of a legally binding contract, they underpin the goods or services you will provide during the course of business.

Having a bespoke set of terms that apply in conjunction with how your business is run will be pivotal for success.

The scope of a company’s terms and conditions

The content of your terms and conditions will be hinged on who your clients are and the service or goods you are selling. They may differ for business-to-business and business-to-consumer organisations.

A well-drafted set of terms may include:

  • clauses dealing with incorporating the terms into the contract
  • how the goods or services shall be supplied
  • the obligations of the parties
  • payment and any data protection considerations.

Other commercial terms may deal with intellectual property ownership, limiting your liability and what will happen if events arise outside of the parties’ reasonable control.

Having a standardised set of terms and conditions is favourable to your business on many levels.

It avoids additional time and expense in drawing up specific terms for individual arrangements and allows for a streamlining of processes for employees across the business.

It also allows you to introduce terms favourable to your business where substantial negotiation isn’t required.

Complying within a legal framework

Regardless of what you’re selling, it is likely that there will be specific regulations or legislation underpinning your terms.

This could include the effect of the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977 on limiting your liability, or implied terms under the Sale of Goods Act 1979 - are the goods of satisfactory quality?

Having a set of terms and conditions shall assist in complying with your legal obligations.

Bring clarity for all scenarios

Terms and conditions also provide clarity should a certain situation arise.

Relevant clauses can assist parties in understanding their respective rights and obligations. In turn, this will assist in establishing whether a breach of contract has occurred and allow for greater ease of enforceability.

Certain terms may also include dispute resolution clauses, advising the parties on the agreed process for resolving disputes, precluding any unnecessary litigation.

Service consistency brings confidence and satisfaction

Ensuring your clients are happy is paramount to running a successful business.

Contracting on consistent terms shall provide your clients with the confidence and satisfaction that they are entering into a contract free from ambiguity.

Trading on broadly consistent terms will also assist in meeting client expectations such as price and delivery.

Enjoyed this? Read more from Robert Orkney, Harrison Drury

Latest news

1

Fox Group makes second acquisition since Stellex Capital backing Roger Thistlethwaite, managing director NMS Civil Engineering Limited. Paul Fox, CEO Fox Group. John Flood, Executive Director Fox Group

Fox Group makes second acquisition since Stellex Capital backing

17 Sep 2025

2

Villa at Wrea Green bought for £3.6m by Haythornthwaite family The Villa Wrea Green courtesy of The Villa Wrea Green

Villa at Wrea Green bought for £3.6m by Haythornthwaite family

16 Sep 2025

3

Fourth Lancashire Bodycare store to shut Nick Holloway of administrators Interpath

Fourth Lancashire Bodycare store to shut

16 Sep 2025

4

Family business relocates in Blackburn Tristar relocation

Family business relocates in Blackburn

16 Sep 2025

5

Taste Lancashire Producer Awards 2026 open for applications Taste Lancashire Producers awards

Taste Lancashire Producer Awards 2026 open for applications

15 Sep 2025

Background image for hub sign up block

LBV Hub

Leverage Lancashire Business View platforms

Post your news
Post your events
Post your offers
Build your network
Improve your SEO
Gain coverage in the magazine
Sign-up
Events
Sub36 Networking - Follow the signs
Sub36 Deaf Village Social1200
Networking
17 Sep 2025

Sub36 Networking - Follow the signs

The Deaf Village, Blackburn, BB2 5EN

10:00 - 12:00

LBV124 September/October Launch Event
MBP Arc Cinema Preston Opening 205
Networking
18 Sep 2025

LBV124 September/October Launch Event

The Arc Cinema, Preston, PR1 2BL

08:30 - 10:30

CMI Level 5 Management and Leadership Course
UCLanAerialCampus.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
21 Feb 2025 - 21 Feb 2026

CMI Level 5 Management and Leadership Course

Preston Campus, Preston , PR1 2HE

09:00 - 17:00

CMI Level 5 Project Management Course
UCLanAerialCampus.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
21 Feb 2025 - 21 Feb 2026

CMI Level 5 Project Management Course

Preston Campus, Preston, PR1 2HE

08:00 - 17:00

The Business Network Central & East Lancashire
LBV Hub Networking
17 Sep 2025 - 17 Sep 2025

The Business Network Central & East Lancashire

Stanley House, Blackburn, BB2 7NP

11:30 - 14:15

Business Breakfast Networking Event
business workshop photo.png.png
LBV Hub Networking
17 Sep 2025 - 17 Sep 2025

Business Breakfast Networking Event

Media Factory, University of Lancashire, Preston, PR1 2HE

08:00 - 10:30

Ladies Lunch
Lancs-cham-logo.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Networking
18 Sep 2025 - 18 Sep 2025

Ladies Lunch

Lancaster Golf Club, Lancaster, LA2 0AJ

12:00 - 16:00

Cumbria Business Expo 2025
https---cdn.evbuc.com-images-880461633-4862066883-1-original.20241022-110415.jpeg.jpg
LBV Hub Exhibitions
19 Sep 2025 - 19 Sep 2025

Cumbria Business Expo 2025

Carlisle Racecourse, Carlisle, CA2 4TS

09:00 - 15:00

Preston Freelancer Meet-Up: September
Sept Freelancer (1).png.png
LBV Hub Networking
23 Sep 2025 - 23 Sep 2025

Preston Freelancer Meet-Up: September

Society1, Coworking Space, Preston, PR1 3LT

10:00 - 11:30

Your Business, Your Region: Making sense of devolution and Local Government Reorganisation
Chorley Council breakfast event new
LBV Hub Networking
23 Sep 2025 - 23 Sep 2025

Your Business, Your Region: Making sense of devolution and Local Government Reorganisation

Worden Hall, Leyland, PR25 3DH

08:00 - 11:00

Speed Networking with BNI
2.png.png
LBV Hub Networking
24 Sep 2025 - 24 Sep 2025

Speed Networking with BNI

Chorley Football Club, Chorley, PR7 3DU

16:00 - 19:00

The Marketing Meetup IRL: Lancashire - September
TMM Lancashire
LBV Hub Networking
25 Sep 2025 - 25 Sep 2025

The Marketing Meetup IRL: Lancashire - September

Chorley, PR7 2SL

18:00 - 20:00

Advertise with us

Reaching 50,000 members, our print, digital and event platforms offer a fantastic way to raise your business profile and help you grow.

Find out more LBV124 Online Graphic
Subscribe now

Weekly news bulletin