⚠️ 6 Consulting Services Gotchas to Watch For
- Work Product Ownership: HIGH Consultants often retain IP rights to methodologies, frameworks, and tools used—even if you paid for the engagement. You may only get a license to deliverables
- No Guarantees on Results: HIGH Consulting agreements typically disclaim any warranty of specific outcomes. You pay for effort and advice, not results or success
- Non-Compete/Non-Solicit: MEDIUM Agreements may prevent you from hiring the consultant's team members or using competing consultants for extended periods
- Confidentiality One-Way: MEDIUM You must keep their methods confidential, but they can use "general knowledge" gained from your engagement with other clients
- Scope Creep Billing: HIGH Any requests outside the original SOW trigger change orders at higher rates. "Quick questions" may be billed as additional consulting time
- Termination Penalties: MEDIUM Early termination may require paying for committed resources, minimum engagement periods, or kill fees up to 50% of remaining contract value
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