The Black Print Weekly · Issue 3
Put your side hustle deal in writing
Thursday, November 5, 2026
The holidays are close. Here is how to protect your work, your money, and your name.
This week
Put the deal in writing
A side hustle runs on trust. But a handshake is easy to forget. A short written deal keeps you and your client on the same page.
Your one page needs six things. What you will do. The price. When it is due. When and how you get paid, like half up front. What happens if plans change. And who owns the work.
That last one matters more than most people think. Under federal law, the person who makes a creative work owns the copyright. A logo, a photo, a song, or a design you make on your own is yours. To give that right away, you have to sign a paper that says so.
Some clients will want to own what you make. That can be fine, if you agree to it and get paid for it. Just put it in writing, so no one is surprised later.
Keep it simple. Plain words work. You both sign it, and you each keep a copy.
Why it matters: A clear page stops most fights before they start. It also helps you get paid on time.
Your move
Write your one page today. Use it for your next job, and have both of you sign it.
Knowledge
Shop online with a credit card
The holidays bring big deals online. They also bring late packages, wrong items, and charges you did not make.
A federal law called the Fair Credit Billing Act helps you when you pay with a credit card. You can dispute a charge for something you did not get, or that did not come as agreed. You can also dispute a wrong amount, or a charge you did not make.
First, try to fix it with the seller. If that does not work, write to your card company. Send it to the address for billing questions, not the one for payments. Your letter has to reach them within 60 days after the first bill with the problem.
The card company has to answer you in writing within 30 days. It has to settle the dispute within 90 days. For a charge you did not make, the most you can owe is $50.
Why it matters: A problem you report on time can be fixed. If you wait too long, you can lose that right.
Your move
Shop with a credit card. Read each bill when it comes, and report a problem right away.
Power
Let an HSA lower your taxes
Many jobs are in health plan sign-up season right now. If you pick a plan with a high deductible, you may be able to open a health savings account, or HSA.
An HSA has three tax breaks. The money you put in lowers your taxable income. The money grows without tax. And you pay no tax when you take it out for medical bills.
For 2026, you can put in up to $4,400 if the plan covers just you, or $8,750 for a family. At 55 or older, you can add $1,000 more.
The money is yours. What you do not spend rolls over to next year. It stays with you if you change jobs.
Why it matters: Medical bills come for everyone. An HSA lets you pay them with money you never paid income tax on.
Your move
Check your sign-up at work. If you pick a high deductible plan, open the HSA and put in what you can.
Influence
Take your address off Google
When people hear about your work, they search your name. You want them to find your work, not your home address.
Google has a free tool called Results about you. It looks for search results that show your phone number, home address, or email. Then it lets you ask Google to take those results out of search.
To find it, open the Google app and tap your picture. Open the menu, then pick Results about you. You can also go to myactivity.google.com/results-about-you.
One thing to know: taking a result out of Google does not delete the page. The info is still on that website. To get it off the site, you have to ask the site's owner.
Why it matters: Your name should open doors to your work, not to your front door.
Your move
Search your own name today. Then open Results about you and ask Google to remove what should stay private.