Are electronic signatures legally enforceable?

Yes. Electronic signatures meet the legal standard under the federal ESIGN Act (15 U.S.C. ch. 96) and state UETA laws when intent, consent, attribution, and reliable record retention are demonstrated.

Which documents cannot be signed electronically?

Certain exceptions exist, including wills, some court filings, and certain family law decrees. Always verify specific document types against state statutes and court rules before relying on eSigning.

When is notarization required and can it be done remotely?

Notarization is required for some record types in various states; many states now permit Remote Online Notarization (RON) subject to identity proofing and recording requirements, but rules differ by state.

How should I correct an error after signing?

Use an amendment or addendum signed by the same authorized parties; do not alter a signed original. Preserve the original signature record and the correction with its own audit trail.

How long must I keep signed best‑practice documents?

Follow regulatory minimums: IRS records three years (IRC §6501(a)), HIPAA six years (45 CFR §164.530(j)), and industry rules may require longer retention. Keep audit trails with records.

Is signNow compliant with security and regulatory standards?

signNow uses TLS 1.2/1.3 in transit and AES‑256 at rest, and holds certifications including SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, PCI DSS; HIPAA compliance is available with a BAA and 21 CFR Part 11 support on appropriate plans.

Electronic Signature
Templates
Miscellaneous
Business Best Practices

Business Best Practices

This template is fully customizable. Edit the text, fill out the fields, and send it for signature. Give it a try!

BUSINESS BEST PRACTICES AGREEMENT

Client Name: Provider Name: Primary Business Address (Client): Primary Business Address (Provider):

RECITALS

WHEREAS, Client Name: seeks to adopt and implement recognized business best practices to improve operational reliability, compliance, and customer service; and

WHEREAS, Provider Name: possesses expertise and agrees to assist Client in documenting, implementing, and training staff on the agreed best practices described herein; and

WHEREAS, the parties desire to set forth the services to be provided, payment terms, confidentiality obligations, and other terms governing the adoption of these best practices effective as of Effective Date: .

SCOPE OF WORK

Provider will perform the following tasks to assist Client in documenting and implementing business best practices. Provider will deliver all work in writing, provide up to two in-person or virtual training sessions, and furnish templates and summary reports as specified below.

Detailed Scope (deliverables, milestones, and acceptance criteria):

BEST PRACTICES CHECKLIST & IMPLEMENTATION

The parties agree that the Provider will recommend a tailored set of best practices drawn from operational controls, documentation standards, staff training, data protection, and incident response. Client will indicate which recommended elements it elects to adopt by checking the applicable items below and executing this Agreement.

Policy documentation and version control

Staff training, competency assessments, and role-based checklists

Data handling, retention, and access controls

Incident response and escalation procedures

PAYMENT TERMS

Client agrees to pay Provider in consideration for the services rendered under this Agreement according to the following terms.

Total Fee: Payment Schedule and Milestones: Late Payment Fee:

Payments are due within the period specified in the payment schedule. Unpaid amounts shall accrue the agreed late fee and may be subject to suspension of services after written notice and a ten (10) day cure period.

TERM AND TERMINATION

This Agreement commences on Start Date: and continues until End Date: unless earlier terminated in accordance with this section.

Either party may terminate this Agreement for convenience upon providing written notice No. of Days: days prior to the desired termination date. Either party may terminate immediately for material breach that remains uncured after thirty (30) days' written notice, or immediately for acts of fraud or willful misconduct.

CONFIDENTIALITY

Each party (Receiving Party) shall hold Confidential Information of the other party (Disclosing Party) in strict confidence and shall not disclose such information to any third party except to employees, contractors or advisors who have a need to know and are bound by confidentiality obligations at least as protective as those herein. Confidential Information excludes information that is publicly known through no fault of the Receiving Party, independently developed by the Receiving Party without use of the Disclosing Party's Confidential Information, or rightfully received from a third party without breach of an obligation of confidentiality.

The Receiving Party shall use at least the same degree of care to protect the Disclosing Party's Confidential Information as it uses to protect its own confidential information, but in no event less than reasonable care. Upon termination of this Agreement or upon written request, the Receiving Party shall return or destroy Confidential Information as directed by the Disclosing Party and certify such destruction in writing when requested.

GOVERNING LAW

This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of without regard to its conflict of laws principles. The parties consent to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of the state and federal courts located in that State for any dispute arising out of or relating to this Agreement.

ENTIRE AGREEMENT

This Agreement, including all exhibits and referenced schedules, constitutes the entire agreement between the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior and contemporaneous agreements, proposals, and communications, whether oral or written. Any amendments or modifications to this Agreement must be in writing and signed by authorized representatives of both parties.

If any provision of this Agreement is held unenforceable or invalid, the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect and the parties shall negotiate in good faith to replace the invalid provision with a valid provision that achieves, to the extent possible, the intended economic, legal and commercial effect of the invalid provision.

Certification: By signing below, the individuals signing on behalf of each party represent and warrant that they are authorized to bind the respective party to this Agreement, and that the party will adopt, implement, and reasonably endeavor to maintain the business best practices set forth in the Scope of Work and selected checklists.

Client Printed Name:

By:

Date:

Provider Printed Name:

By:

Date:

What Business Best Practices documents are and why they matter

Business Best Practices is a formal, written framework that documents standard operating procedures, compliance requirements, approval authorities, and recordkeeping rules for a company. It centralizes expectations for operations, risk management, and cross‑department coordination so teams apply consistent processes, reduce miscommunication, and demonstrate due diligence to auditors, regulators, and partners. These documents often combine policy statements, stepwise procedures, approval matrices, and revision control to make the organization’s established approach repeatable and auditable across projects and locations.

Why a clear Business Best Practices document protects your organization

A well‑crafted Business Best Practices document reduces operational risk, supports regulatory compliance, and creates a defensible record of decisions and controls. It also clarifies roles and handoffs, helping organizations meet obligations under federal standards such as ESIGN and state electronic transaction laws like UETA.

Who typically creates and relies on these documents

Use documented best practices as a living resource: review them regularly and update with version control so staff always follow the current, approved procedures.

Compliance and legal teams responsible for regulatory alignment and audit readiness across business processes.
Operations and department managers who enforce procedures and measure adherence to internal controls.
Human resources and training staff who onboard employees and embed procedures into job descriptions and training.

Who can sign or approve these documents

Authorized Officer

Chief executives or officers with delegated authority typically approve company‑level best practices. Their signature confirms corporate acceptance and may be required for policies affecting legal or financial obligations. Ensure their authority is documented in corporate minutes or board resolutions when necessary.

Designated Manager

Operational or departmental managers often sign operational procedures and checklists to indicate functional responsibility. Their signature denotes responsibility for execution, staff training, and ongoing monitoring of the specified practices.

Core components to include in a professional Business Best Practices document

Arrange the document into clear, actionable sections so readers can find requirements, owners, and timelines quickly.

Executive summary

Concise statement of purpose and scope that explains who the document applies to and the outcomes it seeks to achieve, enabling executive stakeholders to understand high‑level intent quickly.

Scope and applicability

Define covered functions, departments, locations, exceptions, and any contract or regulatory relationships so readers know whether the procedures apply to specific activities or entities.

Policies

High‑level rules and mandatory controls describing required behavior, prohibited actions, escalation triggers, and links to applicable laws or standards.

Procedures

Step‑by‑step instructions, decision trees, and checklists that operationalize policies into reproducible activities and handoffs for frontline staff.

Roles and responsibilities

Approval matrices, owner assignments, and contact points that clarify who performs, reviews, and enforces each process and who signs off on exceptions.

Review and version control

Revision history, scheduled review cadence, and change‑approval workflow so the document remains current and auditable over time.

Required information to collect and record

Business legal name: Full registered name

EIN or Tax ID: Employer identification number

Primary contact: Name and business email

Effective date: MM/DD/YYYY

Approving authority: Title or board resolution

Revision number: Version identifier

Stepwise process to create and finalize your Business Best Practices

Follow these steps to draft, review, approve, and distribute a documented set of best practices that is auditable and repeatable.

01

Draft: Compile policies, procedures, and owner names in a single document.
02

Internal review: Circulate to stakeholders for operational and legal feedback.
03

Approval: Obtain signatures from authorized officers or delegated approvers.
04

Publish: Distribute final version and record version history.

Configuring a digital workflow for review and approvals

Map settings for authentication, notifications, and retention to align the digital workflow with your governance model.

Field	Configuration
Authentication	Email link or SMS code; use 2FA for high‑risk approvals
Field Validation	Use required and conditional fields to enforce data completeness
Notifications	Sequential routing with reminders for overdue approvals
Retention	Auto‑archive signed versions per retention policy

Where to send your completed Business Best Practices

Decide official repositories and distribution lists in advance to ensure accessibility, auditability, and secure storage.

Document repository: Upload final PDF to enterprise document management system
Compliance archive: Store signed version in a WORM or controlled retention folder
Operational teams: Distribute copies to department heads and process owners
Audit logs: Ensure the audit trail is preserved with the signed document

Technical considerations for digital completion and distribution

Confirm the platform supports your authentication, audit trail, and retention needs before finalizing the workflow.

CRM integrations: Connect with Salesforce or NetSuite for automated record linkage
Cloud storage: Support for Box, Google Drive, and Egnyte for archival access
SSO and API: Use SAML SSO and API access for centralized identity and automation

Timing and deadline rules that commonly affect these documents

Certain federal and tax deadlines intersect with best practices when these documents control reporting, payroll, or vendor onboarding.

W-9 provision:

No fixed filing date; provide upon payer request to avoid backup withholding

1099-NEC deadline:

File and furnish by January 31 each year to avoid IRC §6721 penalties

Form 1040 deadline:

Individual tax returns due April 15; extension to October 15 with Form 4868

I-9 retention rule:

Retain for three years after hire or one year after termination, whichever is later

FBAR due date:

April 15 with automatic extension to October 15 for FinCEN Form 114

Typical milestones from draft to enforced practice

Track these numbered milestones so approvals, training, and archival steps occur in sequence.

01

Draft completion

Final internal draft and checklist created for stakeholder review

02

Stakeholder sign‑off

Legal, compliance, and operational approvals recorded

03

Formal approval

Authorized officer signs and dates the official version

04

Publication and training

Distribute to staff and complete required training within set timeframe

Common mistakes when preparing Business Best Practices

Vague scope or ambiguous language that leaves responsibilities unclear and increases enforcement disputes.
Missing signatory authority documentation, causing delays or challenges to the document’s validity in audits.
Failure to define review cadence and version control, which leads to multiple conflicting drafts in circulation.
Not preserving an auditable trail of approvals, edits, and distribution, complicating regulatory or internal investigations.

Key penalties and risks from incorrect or incomplete documents

Contract disputes: Losses and litigation risk

Regulatory fines: Monetary penalties by agencies

Operational downtime: Process interruptions and rework

Tax issues: Withholding or reporting penalties

HIPAA violations: Civil penalties and corrective plans

Reputational harm: Customer trust erosion

Real examples showing Business Best Practices in use

These case summaries illustrate how organizations apply documented best practices to operationalize controls and speed approvals.

Optica Ventures

A small investment firm consolidated procedures for investor onboarding and compliance review to reduce errors and delays.

The team standardized templates and approval gates.
That consolidation improved turnaround and made audit evidence easier to assemble, supporting faster investor communications and clearer accountability across the firm.

Xerox (NetSuite ops)

A large enterprise integrated operational rules with NetSuite to automate approvals and signature capture.

Integration tied policies to system roles.
The result was consistent enforcement of process steps, fewer manual exceptions, and measurable reductions in processing time for contract execution and vendor onboarding.

Representative eSignature vendor comparison for executing Business Best Practices

Compare common plan attributes when selecting an eSignature provider; signNow is listed first for vendor parity in this comparison.

	signNow	DocuSign	Adobe Sign	PandaDoc	HelloSign
Starting Price	$8/user/mo	$15/user/mo	$14/user/mo	$19/user/mo	$15/user/mo
Free Trial	7‑day free trial	Varies by promotion	Varies by promotion	Varies by promotion	Varies by promotion
Bulk Send	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Audit Trail	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
HIPAA Compliant	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Envelope Cap	No cap	100 envelopes/user/year	Varies by plan	Varies by plan	Varies by plan

Frequently asked questions about implementing Business Best Practices

Answers to common implementation and compliance questions when drafting, signing, and storing your best practices document.

Need help? Contact support

Are electronic signatures legally enforceable?
Yes. Electronic signatures meet the legal standard under the federal ESIGN Act (15 U.S.C. ch. 96) and state UETA laws when intent, consent, attribution, and reliable record retention are demonstrated.
Which documents cannot be signed electronically?
Certain exceptions exist, including wills, some court filings, and certain family law decrees. Always verify specific document types against state statutes and court rules before relying on eSigning.
When is notarization required and can it be done remotely?
Notarization is required for some record types in various states; many states now permit Remote Online Notarization (RON) subject to identity proofing and recording requirements, but rules differ by state.
How should I correct an error after signing?
Use an amendment or addendum signed by the same authorized parties; do not alter a signed original. Preserve the original signature record and the correction with its own audit trail.
How long must I keep signed best‑practice documents?
Follow regulatory minimums: IRS records three years (IRC §6501(a)), HIPAA six years (45 CFR §164.530(j)), and industry rules may require longer retention. Keep audit trails with records.
Is signNow compliant with security and regulatory standards?
signNow uses TLS 1.2/1.3 in transit and AES‑256 at rest, and holds certifications including SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, PCI DSS; HIPAA compliance is available with a BAA and 21 CFR Part 11 support on appropriate plans.

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