Non-Compete/Non-Solicitation Agreement

A non-compete agreement and a non-solicitation agreement are two types of contracts that are designed to protect the interests of a business owner. These agreements are typically used to prevent employees, contractors, or former employees from engaging in activities that might compete with the business or solicit its customers, clients, or employees.

Three benefits of non-compete and non-solicitation agreements for small business owners are: Protecting confidential information:

• These agreements can help to protect confidential information such as trade secrets, customer lists, and business plans from being used by employees for the benefit of a competing business.
• Preserving business relationships: By preventing employees from soliciting customers or clients, a non-solicitation agreement can help to preserve the business's relationships with its customers and clients.
• Maintaining competitive advantage: A non-compete agreement can help to maintain the business's competitive advantage by preventing employees from using their knowledge and skills to compete with the business.

Three practical uses of non-compete and non-solicitation agreements are:

• Protecting against employee turnover: When employees leave a business, they can take confidential information and use it to compete with the business or solicit its customers. Non-compete and non-solicitation agreements can help to prevent this.
• Preventing unfair competition: If a business has invested significant resources in training an employee, it is important to prevent that employee from using that training to compete with the business. Non-compete agreements can help to prevent this.
• Protecting against key employee loss: If a key employee leaves a business, it can have a significant impact on the business's operations. Non-compete and non-solicitation agreements can help to prevent key employees from leaving and competing with the business. **Non-Compete Agreements are not recognized in the Following States: California, Montana, North Dakota, and Oklahoma**