1. Agreement to Terms
By accessing or using the services provided by Novel LLC ("Novel," "we," "us," or "our"), including our website at novel-advisors.com, client portal, and all bookkeeping, AI consulting, and advisory services, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. If you do not agree to these terms, do not use our services.
2. Services
Novel provides the following services to small businesses:
- Bookkeeping & Finance: Transaction categorization, bank reconciliation, financial reporting, month-end close, KPI tracking, and advisory services across our Foundations, Clarity, and Insight tiers.
- AI Consulting & Advisory: AI literacy training, tool selection, workflow design, process auditing, automation strategy, and technical architecture advisory across our Equipped, Automated, and Engineered tiers.
- Build Services: One-time project engagements including websites, automations, backend systems, AI chatbots, and lead generation systems, scoped and priced individually.
The specific scope of services for each client is defined in the engagement proposal accepted by the client.
3. Client Responsibilities
As a client, you agree to:
- Provide timely and accurate access to financial accounts, documents, and information as requested
- Respond to communications within a reasonable timeframe
- Review deliverables (financial reports, recommendations, etc.) promptly and provide feedback
- Maintain the confidentiality of your portal login credentials
- Ensure that all information provided to Novel is accurate and complete
Delays in providing requested information may impact the timeliness and accuracy of our deliverables.
4. Fees and Payment
- Monthly retainer fees are billed on the 1st of each month and due upon receipt.
- One-time build project fees are billed according to the payment schedule in the project proposal (typically 50% upfront, 50% on completion).
- Late payments may incur a $50 late fee after 15 days past due.
- All fees are in U.S. dollars unless otherwise specified.
- We reserve the right to adjust pricing with 30 days written notice.
Payments are processed securely through Stripe. By providing payment information, you authorize Novel to charge the applicable fees.
5. Term and Termination
Monthly retainer services operate on a month-to-month basis unless otherwise specified in your engagement proposal.
- Either party may terminate monthly services with 30 days written notice.
- Upon termination, any outstanding fees for services already rendered remain due.
- We will provide a reasonable transition period to hand off financial records and access.
- Novel reserves the right to terminate services immediately for non-payment, fraud, or violation of these terms.
6. Intellectual Property
- Build deliverables: Upon full payment, you own all custom-built systems, websites, automations, and tools created specifically for you under a Build Services engagement.
- Novel tools and methods: Novel retains ownership of all proprietary tools, templates, frameworks, and methodologies used in delivering services.
- Your data: You retain full ownership of all your business data, financial records, and documents at all times.
7. Confidentiality
We treat all client information as confidential. We will not share your financial data, business information, or personal details with third parties without your written consent, except as required by law or as necessary to provide our services through the third-party tools described in our Privacy Policy.
8. Limitation of Liability
Novel provides bookkeeping and AI consulting services with reasonable care and skill. However:
- We are not a CPA firm and do not provide audit, attest, or assurance services.
- Our bookkeeping services do not constitute tax advice. Tax preparation and filing are offered as separate engagements.
- AI consulting is advisory in nature: we provide recommendations, not guarantees of business outcomes.
- To the maximum extent permitted by law, Novel's total liability for any claim arising from our services is limited to the fees paid by you in the three (3) months preceding the claim.
- Novel is not liable for indirect, incidental, consequential, or punitive damages.
9. Disclaimer
Our services are provided "as is" and "as available." While we strive for accuracy in all financial reporting and recommendations, we do not warrant that our services will be error-free. Clients are responsible for reviewing all deliverables and making their own business decisions.
10. Dispute Resolution
Any disputes arising from these terms or our services will first be addressed through good-faith negotiation. If unresolved, disputes will be settled through binding arbitration in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association, conducted in the state where Novel LLC is registered.
11. Changes to Terms
We may update these Terms of Service from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated date. Continued use of our services after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the revised terms. For material changes, we will notify active clients via email.