Terms of Service

1. About these terms

These terms are between [Registered company name], trading as Lodestar Marketing ("Lodestar", "we", "us"), and you. Section 2 applies to everyone who uses this website. Sections 3 to 14 apply to businesses that engage us ("client", "you").

Our services are offered only to businesses and people acting for business purposes, not to consumers. By engaging us, you confirm you have authority to bind your business.

2. Using this website

• The content on this website is general information about our services. It isn't professional, legal, financial or tax advice, and you shouldn't rely on it for decisions about your business.
• Diagrams and examples on this site are illustrations. They don't represent the actual results of any client.
• We try to keep the site accurate and available but don't promise that it's error-free or always online.
• The text, design and graphics of this site belong to us or our licensors. You may view and share links to it, but not copy it for commercial use without permission.
• We aren't responsible for the content of websites we link to.
• You must not misuse the site, for example by attempting to gain unauthorised access or interfere with its operation.

3. Engagements

Before we start work, we'll agree a written proposal ("Statement of Work") with you, setting out the services, deliverables, fees, timeline, the marketing data we'll track and the notice period. Each Statement of Work forms a contract together with these terms. If they conflict, the Statement of Work takes priority.

Changes to the scope must be agreed in writing (email is fine). We aren't obliged to do work outside the agreed scope.

4. Fees and costs

• Setup fee. The consultation and website build are charged as a one-off fee, set out in the Statement of Work.
• Monthly fee. For ongoing services, we'll send you a breakdown of the work planned for the coming month and its cost before that month starts, and invoice it in advance. If you don't agree with a monthly breakdown, tell us before the month starts and we'll adjust the plan.
• Our fees are payable whether or not particular results are achieved.
• Advertising spend isn't included. You pay ad platforms directly through your own account and payment method, and you decide the budget. We won't commit ad spend above the budget you've approved.
• Third-party costs such as domains, hosting, software subscriptions, stock images or printing are paid by you, either directly or reimbursed at cost with your prior approval.
• Invoices are payable within [14] days. We may pause work if an invoice is more than [30] days overdue, after giving you notice.
• Fees are shown [inclusive / exclusive] of VAT or similar taxes, where applicable.

5. Performance data

We measure our work with marketing data. We don't need your financial records.

• What we track. The marketing data listed in the Statement of Work, such as website traffic, search statistics and social media statistics. You'll give us access to the accounts needed to collect it, and you can remove that access at any time, although we may then be unable to report on results.
• How we use it. You give us a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to use that data to measure and report on our work, and to publish them in anonymised or aggregated form that doesn't identify your business. This licence continues after the engagement ends, but only for anonymised or aggregated material.
• Naming you. We'll only name your business, use your logo or trademarks, or quote you if you give separate written permission. You can withdraw that permission at any time. We'll then stop using it in new material and remove it from our website within [30] days, but we can't recall material that has already been published elsewhere.
• Your right to share. You confirm you're entitled to give us access to the accounts and data concerned. Don't send us your customers' personal data unless the Statement of Work requires it.
• Accuracy of reports. Our reports rely on data from third-party platforms. We aren't responsible for errors in that source data.

Our Privacy Policy explains how we protect this data.

6. Your responsibilities

• Give us the information, access and approvals we reasonably need, on time. Delays on your side may delay our work.
• Content you provide. You confirm you own or have permission to use any text, photos, logos and other material you give us, and that it doesn't infringe anyone's rights or break any law.
• Your claims. You're responsible for the accuracy of what your website and ads say about your business, products, prices and offers, and for complying with consumer protection, advertising and sector-specific rules.
• Approvals. You'll review and approve websites, ads and listings before they go live. Once you approve them, the content is your responsibility.
• Your website visitors. As the operator of your website, you're responsible for its privacy notice, cookie consent and any legal notices it needs. We'll help you set these up, but we can't provide legal advice.

7. Accounts and ownership

• Wherever possible, domains, hosting, ad accounts, analytics and business listings are registered in your name and paid with your payment method. We access them as a user or manager, not an owner.
• Once you've paid the relevant fees, you own the deliverables we create specifically for you, such as your website design and content, ad copy and graphics.
• We keep ownership of our pre-existing tools, templates, code libraries, methods and know-how. You get a perpetual, non-exclusive licence to use any of these that are built into your deliverables.
• Third-party components, such as themes, plugins, fonts or stock images, are subject to their own licences.
• We may describe our work for you in anonymised form. We'll only show it in a portfolio with your name if you give written permission, as in section 5.

8. No guarantee of results

Business performance depends on many factors outside our control, including your market, competition, pricing, seasonality, staffing, the economy and changes to third-party platforms. We'll carry out our services with reasonable skill and care, but we don't guarantee any particular outcome, including revenue, customer numbers, search rankings, reviews, ad performance or return on ad spend. Any past results we share don't predict future results.

Our recommendations are business and marketing suggestions. They aren't legal, financial, tax or accounting advice, and you remain responsible for your business decisions.

9. Third-party platforms

Our work relies on platforms such as search engines, social networks, ad networks, hosting and domain providers. These are run by other companies under their own terms. We aren't responsible for their outages, policy or algorithm changes, pricing changes, ad rejections, account suspensions or loss of data, though we'll help you deal with them where we can. Lodestar isn't affiliated with or endorsed by any of these platforms unless we state it explicitly.

10. Confidentiality

Each of us will keep the other's non-public business information confidential and use it only for the engagement, except where it's already public, independently developed, or must be disclosed by law. This duty continues for [3] years after the engagement ends. Anonymised publication of results under section 5 isn't a breach of confidentiality.

11. Limitation of liability

• Nothing in these terms limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, for fraud, or for anything else that can't be limited by law.
• Subject to that, we aren't liable for any loss of profit, revenue, business, goodwill or data, or for any indirect or consequential loss.
• Subject to that, our total liability under or in connection with each engagement is limited to the total fees you paid us under it in the 12 months before the claim arose.
• You'll compensate us for reasonable losses and costs arising from third-party claims caused by content you provided, claims you asked us to publish, or your breach of law or of section 6.

12. Ending an engagement

• Either party may end an engagement by giving [30] days' written notice, unless the Statement of Work says otherwise.
• Either party may end it immediately if the other materially breaches these terms and doesn't fix the breach within 14 days of being asked, or becomes insolvent.
• When an engagement ends, you pay for work done up to the end date. We'll hand over any logins and files for accounts in your name, remove our access, and return or delete your data as described in our Privacy Policy.
• Sections 5 (for anonymised material), 7, 8, 10, 11 and 14 continue after the engagement ends.

13. Data processing

If we process personal data on your behalf, such as your customers' details, you're the controller and we're the processor. We will:

• process it only on your documented instructions and only for the engagement
• make sure anyone with access is bound by confidentiality
• keep it secure using appropriate technical and organisational measures
• use sub-processors only under written terms that give the same level of protection, and tell you about any changes so you can object
• help you respond to data subject requests and meet your security, breach-notification and impact-assessment obligations
• notify you without undue delay after becoming aware of a personal data breach
• delete or return the data when the engagement ends, unless the law requires us to keep it
• give you the information you reasonably need to show compliance

The Statement of Work will describe the types of personal data, data subjects and processing involved.

14. General

• Independent parties. We act as an independent contractor. Nothing in these terms creates a partnership, joint venture or employment relationship, or gives either party a share in the other's revenue or profits.
• Events beyond control. Neither party is liable for delays caused by events beyond its reasonable control.
• Assignment. Neither party may transfer an engagement without the other's consent, except as part of a sale or reorganisation of its business.
• Entire agreement. These terms and the Statement of Work are the whole agreement between us about an engagement.
• Changes. We may update these terms. Changes won't affect an existing engagement unless you agree in writing.
• Severability. If any part of these terms is found unenforceable, the rest still applies.
• Governing law. These terms are governed by the law of [England and Wales], and its courts have exclusive jurisdiction.
• Notices. Notices may be sent by email to the address in the Statement of Work, or to .