Most agency retainers start fair and quietly rot, because the work creeps up while the fee stays still. A few contract clauses stop that, and I wish someone had shown me them sooner.

The clauses that hold the line

Three earn their place. A scope boundary that names what is included and what is extra, so additions are a conversation rather than an assumption. An annual uplift tied to an index, so the fee keeps pace with costs without an awkward renegotiation. And a notice period that protects your cashflow when a client leaves, which they eventually do.

The one most people skip

A minimum term or kill fee. Without it, a client can take three months of ramp-up work and walk before you have recovered the setup cost. It feels pushy to ask for, and that reluctance is exactly why so many studios run the first months at a loss. Put it in writing at the start, when goodwill is highest, not after a bad exit.

The government’s guidance for the self-employed covers the basics of contracting, but the clauses above come from scars, not statutes.

Written by Isla Fraser. General business information, not financial advice; figures current for 2026.…