Signing the first customer contract digitally the right way

Mailing a PDF and asking it back is not a digital signature and keeps no audit trail. Pick a tool that meets eIDAS so the signature stands up legally.

Try this first

1. 1Pick a tool that delivers qualified or advanced electronic signatures per eIDAS, advanced is usually enough for SMB work.
2. 2Configure the tool with your own branding and add company name and KvK number in the cover text, that looks serious to a first customer.
3. 3Test the entire flow on a dummy contract, signing, saving, retrieving, before you use it on a real customer.
4. 4Auto-save every signed version into your administration environment, not only in the tool, otherwise you are tied to that one SaaS account.
5. 5Write down the retention period in your internal procedure, fiscal seven years, other items typically ten, and agree it with your accountant.
6. 6Document who at your company is authorised to sign on behalf of the entity and which amounts or contract types go through whom.

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