Terms of Service

These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your use of smallbusinessstandard.com (the "Site") and the assessments, guides, content, and services offered by Small Business Standard, LLC ("Small Business Standard," "we," "us," or "our") (together, the "Services").

By accessing the Site or using the Services, you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the Site or Services.

1. Who We Are and What We Offer

Small Business Standard provides educational content, diagnostic assessments (including The Standard Score™), and consulting and implementation engagements built on The Standard™ framework. Some Services are free; others are paid. Specific deliverables, scope, and timelines for a paid engagement are described at the point of purchase or in a separate agreement.

2. Eligibility

You must be at least 18 years old and able to form a binding contract to use the Services. By using the Services on behalf of a business, you represent that you are authorized to bind that business to these Terms.

3. Assessments and Educational Content

The Standard Score™, guides, and related materials are diagnostic and educational. They are designed to help you understand where a business stands against The Standard™ — they are not professional, legal, financial, tax, or investment advice, and they are not a guarantee of any particular outcome. You are responsible for the decisions you make based on them. The Standard Score™ result reflects the information you provide and is a measure of trajectory, not a certification; certification, where offered, is a separate, independently evaluated process.

4. Paid Services and Payment

• Fees. Prices for paid Services (such as the Stabilize Call, the Standard Blueprint, and engagement tiers) are shown at the point of purchase or quoted directly. Fees are in U.S. dollars unless stated otherwise.
• Billing. Payments are processed by third-party payment processors. By purchasing, you authorize us and our processor to charge the payment method you provide for the amount shown, including any applicable taxes.
• Scheduling. Sessions are scheduled through our booking tools. Please arrive on time; missed sessions may be subject to the cancellation policy below.

5. Cancellations and Refunds

You may reschedule or cancel a booked session by contacting us at least 24 hours before the scheduled time. Fees for sessions or services already delivered are non-refundable. Specific engagements may carry their own cancellation and refund terms, which will be stated in the applicable order or agreement and control over this section where they differ.

6. Intellectual Property

The Site and its contents — including The Standard™, The Standard Score™, The Standard Blueprint™, and all other named systems, frameworks, methodologies, text, graphics, and materials — are owned by or licensed to Small Business Standard IP, LLC and are protected by intellectual property laws. All trademarks and service marks displayed are the property of Small Business Standard IP, LLC.

We grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to access and use the Site and the materials we provide, solely for your own internal business use. You may not copy, reproduce, republish, distribute, resell, or create derivative works from our content or frameworks without our prior written permission.

7. Acceptable Use

• Do not use the Services for any unlawful purpose or in violation of these Terms.
• Do not attempt to disrupt, reverse engineer, or gain unauthorized access to the Site or its systems.
• Do not misrepresent your identity or affiliation, or submit false information.
• Do not use our content or marks in a way that implies endorsement or certification we have not granted.

8. Disclaimers

The Site and Services are provided "as is" and "as available," without warranties of any kind, express or implied, including implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement. We do not warrant that the Services will be uninterrupted, error-free, or that any particular business result, revenue, profit, valuation, or outcome will be achieved. Results depend on many factors outside our control, including your own execution.

9. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Small Business Standard, LLC and Small Business Standard IP, LLC, and their owners, members, and agents, will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or for lost profits, revenue, data, or goodwill, arising from or related to your use of the Site or Services. Our total liability for any claim relating to the Services will not exceed the amount you paid us for the specific Service giving rise to the claim in the twelve months before the claim.

10. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Small Business Standard, LLC, Small Business Standard IP, LLC, and their owners and agents from any claims, damages, liabilities, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from your use of the Services, your violation of these Terms, or your violation of any law or third-party right.

11. Third-Party Services and Links

The Services rely on third-party tools (such as scheduling, payment, and CRM providers) and may link to third-party sites. We are not responsible for the content, policies, or practices of those third parties, and your use of them is at your own risk and subject to their terms.

12. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Colorado, without regard to its conflict-of-laws rules. You agree that any dispute arising from these Terms or the Services will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located in Colorado, unless otherwise required by applicable law.

13. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. When we do, we will revise the "Last updated" date above and post the changes on this page. Your continued use of the Site or Services after an update means you accept the revised Terms.

14. Contact Us

Questions about these Terms? Contact us at legal@smallbusinessstandard.com or through smallbusinessstandard.com.