Can this agreement be signed electronically?

Yes. Electronic signatures are generally legally enforceable under the federal ESIGN Act (15 U.S.C. §7001) and state UETA acts, except where specific statutory exceptions apply.

What makes an e-signature legally valid?

Valid electronic signatures require evidence of intent to sign, consent to transact electronically, attribution to the signer, and reliable record retention capable of reproduction.

Are witness or notary steps sometimes required?

Some states or specific document types may require notarization or witnesses; when in doubt, include a notary block or follow the receiving jurisdiction's rules.

How do I correct an executed document error?

Issue a written amendment signed by authorized parties or execute a replacement agreement; keep a clear amendment record rather than altering an executed copy.

How long should I keep executed agreements?

Retain according to relevant statutes: IRS 3 years minimum for tax records; HIPAA requires six years for medical records; many commercial records retained seven years.

What if a signer lacks authority?

A signer without proper authority may expose the contract to challenge; verify corporate authorization and, when needed, obtain a board resolution or officer certification.

Electronic Signature
Templates
Miscellaneous
Business Services Marc

Business Services Marc

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

Business Services Marc

This Business Services Agreement (the "Agreement") is entered into as of by and between Service Provider: and Client: (each a "Party" and together the "Parties").

RECITALS

WHEREAS, Service Provider provides professional business services including consulting, project management, and related deliverables as described below; and

WHEREAS, Client desires to retain Service Provider to perform certain services under the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement; and

WHEREAS, the Parties intend by this Agreement to set forth their mutual understanding with respect to the scope, payment, confidentiality, and other material terms governing the provision of services.

SCOPE OF WORK

Service Provider shall perform the services and deliverables described below. The Parties acknowledge that specific tasks, milestones, acceptance criteria, and timelines shall be as set forth in this Section unless modified in writing and signed by both Parties.

Detailed Scope of Work

PAYMENT TERMS

In consideration for the services rendered, Client shall pay Service Provider the compensation set forth below in accordance with the invoicing and payment schedule specified. All amounts are in lawful currency unless otherwise stated.

Total Compensation Payment Schedule and Milestones Invoices — Due Days Late Payment Fee / Interest

All invoices shall itemize work performed and any reimbursable expenses. Client shall pay undisputed amounts when due. If Client disputes an invoice in good faith, Client must notify Service Provider in writing within ten (10) days of receipt specifying the basis of the dispute; the Parties shall attempt to resolve the dispute promptly.

TERM AND TERMINATION

This Agreement commences on the Start Date and, unless earlier terminated as provided herein, will continue until the End Date or completion of the Services, whichever occurs later.

Start Date End Date Notice Period for Termination Without Cause (days)

Either Party may terminate this Agreement for material breach by the other Party if the breaching Party fails to cure such breach within fifteen (15) days after receipt of written notice specifying the breach. Termination shall not relieve Client of its obligation to pay for Services performed and expenses incurred prior to the effective date of termination.

CONFIDENTIALITY

"Confidential Information" means non-public information disclosed by either Party to the other, whether oral, written, electronic, or in any other form, that is designated confidential or that reasonably should be understood to be confidential given the nature of the information and the circumstances of disclosure. Each Party shall (i) protect Confidential Information of the other Party with the same degree of care it uses to protect its own confidential information, but in no event less than reasonable care; (ii) not use Confidential Information for any purpose other than performance of this Agreement; and (iii) not disclose Confidential Information to third parties except to employees, contractors, or advisors who have a need to know and who are bound by confidentiality obligations at least as protective as those in this Agreement.

Confidential Information does not include information that (a) is or becomes generally available to the public without breach of this Agreement, (b) was rightfully in the receiving Party's possession prior to disclosure, (c) is received from a third party without restriction, or (d) is independently developed by the receiving Party without use of Confidential Information.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND WORK PRODUCT

Unless otherwise agreed in writing, Service Provider assigns to Client, upon full payment of all amounts due, all right, title, and interest in and to any deliverables and work product specifically created for Client under this Agreement. Service Provider shall retain ownership of its pre-existing materials, general know-how, and tools. To the extent either Party conveys any rights in underlying intellectual property, such conveyance shall be expressly identified and described in writing.

GOVERNING LAW

This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of without regard to conflict of laws principles. The Parties submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts located in that State for disputes arising under this Agreement.

INDEMNIFICATION

Each Party (the "Indemnifying Party") shall indemnify, defend and hold harmless the other Party and its officers, directors, employees and agents (the "Indemnified Party") from and against any third-party claims, liabilities, damages, losses and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of (a) the Indemnifying Party's breach of this Agreement, or (b) the Indemnifying Party's negligent acts or willful misconduct in performing its obligations under this Agreement.

ENTIRE AGREEMENT

This Agreement, including any exhibits or attachments expressly incorporated herein, constitutes the entire agreement between the Parties with respect to its subject matter and supersedes all prior and contemporaneous agreements, understandings and communications, whether written or oral. Any amendment or modification of this Agreement must be in writing and signed by authorized representatives of both Parties.

NOTICES

All notices, requests, consents, claims, demands, waivers and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and addressed to the Parties at the addresses set forth below (or to such other address that a Party may specify in writing).

Service Provider Contact Name Service Provider Address Client Contact Name Client Address

Service Provider — Printed Name:

By:

Date:

Client — Printed Name:

By:

Date:

What the Business Services Marc is and when it applies

The Business Services Marc is a standard service agreement template used to document scopes of work, payment terms, timelines, responsibilities, and key deliverables between a provider and a commercial client. It defines obligations, limits liability, and records acceptance of services. The template is commonly used for recurring services, project engagements, and managed services retainers and is frequently completed and exchanged electronically under U.S. e-signature rules.

Why a clear Business Services Marc matters for operations and compliance

A concise, well-structured Business Services Marc reduces disputes by clarifying scope, timelines, and payment mechanics, while establishing remedies and termination rights. Properly executed documents also support auditability for tax, regulatory, and contract-management purposes under standard U.S. commercial practices.

Who typically prepares and reviews this agreement

Lead stakeholders usually include operations, finance, procurement, and legal teams who coordinate drafting and approvals.

Small business owners and managers who contract out recurring services locally or nationally.
Procurement teams in mid-market firms managing vendor selection and onboarding.
In-house counsel or external attorneys who review terms, liability, and compliance clauses.

Final signatory responsibilities typically rest with authorized officers or department heads; ensure delegated authority is documented.

Primary signers and approvers

Operations Manager

Often responsible for confirming scope, deliverable schedules, and accepted changes. Operations ensures the document reflects the operational plan and signs as the internal approver for service performance.

General Counsel

Reviews liability, indemnity, and data-protection clauses. When legal language or regulatory exposure exists, the GC or outside counsel signs off before execution to validate compliance and risk allocation.

Essential sections to include in a robust Business Services Marc

A professional Business Services Marc groups obligations and protections into discrete sections so responsibilities, fees, and remedies are clear to both parties.

Scope of Work

Describe services in specific terms, deliverables, acceptance criteria, and any excluded tasks to avoid later disputes and scope creep.

Payment Terms

State fees, invoicing schedule, accepted payment methods, late payment interest, and any milestone or retainage arrangements.

Term & Termination

Define contract start, renewal mechanics, notice periods, and termination for convenience versus cause with any cure periods.

Confidentiality

Limit use and disclosure of proprietary information; specify duration and permitted disclosures to comply with customer privacy expectations.

Indemnification

Allocate responsibility for third-party claims and losses, identify any caps or carve-outs, and address defense obligations.

Delivery Schedule

Include timelines, milestones, acceptance testing, and remedies for missed dates to align expectations and measure performance.

Step-by-step: complete and execute the Business Services Marc

Follow these sequential steps to draft, approve, sign, and store the executed agreement with auditability.

01

Gather information: Collect legal names, addresses, and scope details from stakeholders.
02

Draft core terms: Populate scope, fees, and timelines; attach schedules and exhibits.
03

Legal review: Have counsel confirm liability, IP, and compliance language.
04

Sign and distribute: Execute via authorized signatures and distribute fully executed copies to parties.

How to configure an online signing workflow for this agreement

Set up fields, authentication, and routing so each signer receives the right sequence and the platform captures a full audit trail.

Field	Configuration
Authentication	Email link or SMS code for signer confirmation
Bulk Send	Use bulk-send option for identical vendor agreements
Document Format	Upload PDF or DOCX; use PDF/A for long-term archiving
Retention	Enable audit trail export and secure storage

Where to send completed copies and how routing typically works

After execution, distribute copies to functional owners and systems of record to ensure operational readiness and financial tracking.

To Client: Send the fully executed copy to the client contact for their records.
To Accounting: Provide invoice schedule and payment terms to accounts payable.
To Legal: Archive a signed PDF for legal and dispute readiness.
To Archive: Store final signed document in the contract repository with metadata.

Distribution channels and integrations to consider

Choose channels that preserve the final signed PDF and a searchable audit trail for compliance and retrieval.

Integrations: Salesforce, NetSuite, Google Workspace, Box
File formats: PDF, DOCX supported for upload and export
Authentication: Email, SMS code, or stronger multi-factor options

Supporting items to attach and file export options

Attach exhibits and supporting schedules; export signed records in standard formats to preserve evidentiary integrity and meet retention policies.

Export Formats

Export the executed agreement as a signed PDF (PDF/A recommended) and retain the audit trail file showing timestamps and signer metadata for evidentiary use.

Supporting Documents

Include Schedules, Statements of Work, insurance certificates, W-9s, and any required regulatory disclosures as appendices to the agreement.

Audit Trail

Preserve a machine-readable audit report showing signer identity, IP addresses, timestamps, and field activity to demonstrate execution authenticity.

Access Controls

Limit editing rights to administrators and restrict signature permissions to authorized roles to maintain document integrity.

Common dates and deadlines to track in the agreement

Define and calendar key contractual and fiscal dates so obligations are monitored and compliance or payment windows are not missed.

Effective Date:

Contract start date that triggers performance and billing.

Invoice Submission:

When invoices must be sent to the client for payment processing.

Payment Due:

Net terms such as Net 30, Net 45, or specific milestone payments.

Renewal Notice:

Notice period required to renew or terminate automatically.

Tax Document Timing:

W-9 provided upon request; other reporting by IRS deadlines.

Key milestones from negotiation to post-execution

Track these sequential milestones to align tasks, approvals, and deliverables across teams and vendors.

01

Negotiation Complete

Parties finalize scope and pricing before preparing the final agreement.

02

Internal Approvals

Finance and legal must sign off before signature routing.

03

Execution

Authorized signers complete signatures and date the agreement.

04

Post-Execution Onboarding

Operations begins delivery and accounting activates invoicing.

Common mistakes to avoid when preparing the Business Services Marc

Unclear scope or vague deliverables that lead to scope creep and billing disputes down the line.
Incorrect party names or titles that can impede enforceability or create tax-reporting complications.
Missing or mismatched signature blocks and dates that invalidate the signed record during a dispute.
Failing to attach required exhibits or tax forms, which delays onboarding and payment processing.

Practical risks and potential penalties of incomplete or incorrect execution

Contract Void Risk: May render obligations unenforceable

Backup Withholding: 24% if TIN missing on W-9

Information-Return Fines: IRC §6721 penalties for late/incorrect filings

I-9 Violations: 8 CFR §274a.2 fines possible

HIPAA Exposure: 45 CFR §164.530(j) record risks

Collections Costs: Late fees and interest accruals possible

Typical vendor pricing and capability overview relevant to e-signing this agreement

Compare basic pricing and core capabilities when selecting an e-signature provider; signNow appears first in this table for clarity and direct 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	Varies	Varies	Varies
Bulk Send	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Audit Trail	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Envelope Cap	No cap	100 envelopes/user/year	Varies	Varies	Varies

Security and compliance items to verify for electronic execution

Encryption in Transit: TLS 1.2 / 1.3

Encryption at Rest: AES-256

Audit Trail: Timestamps, IPs, signer metadata

Certifications: SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001

Regulatory Compliance: ESIGN, UETA, HIPAA (BAA required)

Accessibility: WCAG 2.0 Level AA

Frequently asked questions and practical answers

Common execution and compliance questions about the Business Services Marc and how to handle them in the U.S. context.

Need help? Contact support

Can this agreement be signed electronically?
Yes. Electronic signatures are generally legally enforceable under the federal ESIGN Act (15 U.S.C. §7001) and state UETA acts, except where specific statutory exceptions apply.
What makes an e-signature legally valid?
Valid electronic signatures require evidence of intent to sign, consent to transact electronically, attribution to the signer, and reliable record retention capable of reproduction.
Are witness or notary steps sometimes required?
Some states or specific document types may require notarization or witnesses; when in doubt, include a notary block or follow the receiving jurisdiction's rules.
How do I correct an executed document error?
Issue a written amendment signed by authorized parties or execute a replacement agreement; keep a clear amendment record rather than altering an executed copy.
How long should I keep executed agreements?
Retain according to relevant statutes: IRS 3 years minimum for tax records; HIPAA requires six years for medical records; many commercial records retained seven years.
What if a signer lacks authority?
A signer without proper authority may expose the contract to challenge; verify corporate authorization and, when needed, obtain a board resolution or officer certification.

be ready to get more

Join over 28 million airSlate SignNow users

Sign Now