There is this belief that everything in your business must always be 100% original and always unique to your business. However, this is not the case. Choosing to use templates and other forms of free examples to build your resources can be a great move.
Is Using a Template Plagiarism?
In business, you can’t afford to copy another company. You can land yourself in some serious legal trouble if someone thinks that you are deliberately copying an aspect of their business. Therefore, it is completely reasonable that you will want to make as much of your business as possible truly original.
So, why is a template different? First and foremost, templates are often made to be shared. Though a lot of work has gone into creating them, those creators have then put them out into the world with the intention that they are used. Templates will always be clearly marked as such, so you should have no trouble knowing whether or not you can use one. With that out the way, let’s take a look at some of the templates you might want to use.
Newsletters
Sending out newsletters by email can be a great thing to do for your business. It can offer a lot of insight into how your business is doing – for customers – and it can be a great way to grab some insight into your target demographics – for you the owner. However, if you are not in the know then they can be some pretty tricky things to manufacture. They can require some complex coding that has the power to completely mess up the document. If this happens, it can also be quite hard to fix again.
That is why a template with a built-in newsletter layout is such a wonderful thing. By grabbing one of these, you will be able to just fill it in with your information and images and then send it out as you choose. If you are not the most technical, but you still want to include an email newsletter with your website, this is one of the best choices you could make.
Website Design
One of the best options for website design is to have a dedicated designer construct it with you from scratch. Unfortunately, many businesses also can’t afford this, and so they have to turn to other sources to find a form of website design that works for them.
Platforms like WordPress and Square Space all make use of website templates. If you choose to use these, you will have some modicum of control over it. You can often choose things like text, font, and images. What the template will do for you is to choose the precise layout of the website. Do you want the navigation bar in a ribbon at the top or on the left? How do the images present themselves? These are just two things that can be tackled by the right website template.
When building your website as cheaply as possible, you should definitely consider grabbing one of these. They will undoubtedly make your experience of building the website that bit easier to manage. Once again, they are perfect for those who want to start their own business but are not the most technically minded. If you are determined to build a high-quality website without spending a fortune, you should definitely look into what templates can offer you.
Open Source
We should also consider open source software as a form of a template. These are pieces of software that provide a certain function. However, they are provided as base code – often for free – so people can mold them into whatever shape they choose.
If you are searching for the perfect piece of software that just needs to be changed a little to meet your standards, you should definitely look into what open source software can offer. With so many talented tech developers making programs that you could easily adapt, you should have no issue finding precisely what you need.
The advantage of choosing an open-source over something like a SaaS program is that you will not be tied to another company in any way. You can change the software template as you choose. So long as you do not try to claim that you wrote the initial code, you have free rein to do as you please.
Terms and Conditions
Your terms and conditions are incredibly important and they need to be worded perfectly. The smallest loophole could be exploited if you are not careful. That is why you need to create concrete terms from the beginning that no-one should be able to breakthrough.
To do so, you will often have to consult a lawyer or solicitor. Find one that specializes in contract law to help you right up your precise terms. They will often use templates to do this. These templates will be able to be changed to match your needs, but they will still create a legally binding document that you can replicate as you need.
What you should not do in this situation is to grab some random terms and conditions document from off the internet and make changes yourself. Though the source might claim that it is correct and legally binding, you actually have no guarantee that it is. Instead, you might end up with something that a claims court would throw out in an instant. Always go through a qualified contract lawyer if you are able to.
Grab the Perfect Template Now
As can be seen from above, there are plenty of scenarios where a template is not just OK to use, but also might be one of the best options for you to choose. If you need to draw up something new for your business, consider looking to see if there are any templates on the internet that could help you out. The right one could make your next task that little bit easier to manage, whatever it might be!
For further resources, take a look at our Resources for New Web Design and Development Projects page.
Take a look at the articles 5 Golden Design Rules to Follow When Creating Your Company Logo, Why Having a Solid Brand Identity Is Essential for Any Business, and How to Make Your Website More Engaging With Visual Content for more digital marketing tips.
