Episode 59 – Easy Steps to Create a Contract Process with Damion Jenkins

In today’s episode, I have Damion Keith Jenkins, a Masters Prepared Registered Nurse, NCLEX Prep Expert, Nurse Content Writer, & Public Speaker that has a real passion for nursing education! He will share some guidelines about the right contract process that each of the nurse writers, and even freelancers, should be following.

Damion is the owner and lead educator at The Nurse Speak, LLC. – a nursing education and consulting company & blog. He specializes in providing individualized NCLEX Prep tutoring services for new graduate nurses – especially those who have experienced unsuccessful attempts.

Damion’s mission is to increase the number of nurses entering a profession by helping them to develop effective contract process strategies for success! Damion also offers high-quality, up-to-date writing services and public speaking engagements for a variety of conferences, organizations, and nursing-related companies.

We talk about a lot on the show today. Starting with what his career path has looked like up until now, including the following:

• His services for new graduate nurses and what he does as a writer. He talks about how he grew his writing business, plus how he onboarded new clients.
• How he handle the contract process in the situation of companies reaching out to him vs him finding companies to write for.
• He gives advice about starting a business and creating a seamless contract process.
• He shared about the biggest barriers for the new grads and how he will help them to pass the NCLEX successfully.
• The process of why he ends up as a nurse educator.
• The things that he did to several companies and transition of Nurse Speak Blog to Nurse Speak as his business.
• What he realized after moving to New York City and he shared how great his products and services are.

The Contract Process

• Some large corporation businesses that have been up and motion for many years kinda have their own contract process, so just go with their contract process and read every single word from start to finish and if you have questions or clarification, always get that clarified before signing and entering into that legal inviting contract.
• If it’s for companies that want him to do ghostwriting businesses, they’re reaching out to him saying they want him to do a service to them, and he creates the contract.
• He just uses a very simple tool called Bonzai, a very simple platform to use to offer free contract creation. It’s pretty comprehensive for just a generic form and you just go in and fill in the specifics. It’s been helpful because it outlines the expectations, turnaround time, and the rights for each party and the right to the content.
• So, it just depends on whether the company has their own contract process or he’s creating the contract himself, but they all have pretty much the standards for the section of the contract that you wanna make sure are there to not only protect you in cases of the legal claim but also to make sure that you’re working on legal and ethical manner.
• If there is somebody whose expertise or a lawyer to make the contract for you, just go straight to them. Don’t try to find answers on your own. Protect ourselves, protect our businesses; the likelihood is maybe low, but it’s very smart to establish a business and contract with every single client definitely.
• The only contracts that he’s not currently doing are the one-to-ones, because it’s kinda they do in verbal discussion. More of a product type of service.

Advice for nurses starting their own businesses:

Donna Cardillo told him that as long as you’re working for someone else, you’ll never really work for yourself.

It’s perfectly okay to have a part-time business and make it an amazing part-time business. But if you want to really set and be a business that’s making over a hundred dollar amount consistently, then you can’t work full time for somebody else.

Stay tuned to more of his great success, and thanks again, Damion!

Resources mentioned:

bonzai.com and Donna Cardillo and her great advice pushed Damion to success!

Want to build your clientele? Try one of these 18 expansion strategies featured on Episode 18 of our podcast!

Website: www.thenursespeak.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheNurseSpeak/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenursespeak/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/thenursespeak

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/damionjenkins/