Non-Compete Clauses: How Broad Is Too Broad for Freelancers?

Non-Compete Clauses: How Broad Is Too Broad for Freelancers? You sign a contract with an e-commerce client. The project wraps up in six weeks. Then you get a call from another online retailer who wants to hire you for similar work. You are about to say yes when you remember the non-compete buried on page nine of the first client's contract. You pull it up and read: "Contractor shall not provide services to any business that competes, directly or indirectly, with Client for a period of twenty-four (24) months following termination of this agreement." Two years. Any competitor. No geographic limit. Your specialization is e-commerce. This clause just made you unemployable in your own niche for the next two years — all for a six-week project. Non-compete clauses in freelance contracts are more common than most people realize, and they are one of the fastest ways to cripple a freelance career. Here is what you need to know. What Non-Competes Are and How They Work A non-compete clause (als