1) Acceptance and Updates

  • Binding agreement: By accessing, browsing, or using the Site, you agree to these Terms.

  • Additional assent: If the Site presents a checkbox or similar mechanism referencing these Terms, your acceptance is formed when you affirmatively accept and proceed.

  • Updates: We may update these Terms at any time by posting a revised version with an updated effective date. Continued use of the Site after an update means you accept the revised Terms.

2) Eligibility

  • You must be at least 18 years old (or the age of majority where you live) to use the Site.

  • You represent you have authority to enter into and comply with these Terms.

3) Scope: Site Use vs. Client Services

  • These Terms apply to use of the Site, including content viewing, inquiries, downloads, and forms.

  • Any paid client work (branding, logo design, web design, UX/UI, marketing support, or other services) is governed by a separate written agreement (proposal/MSA/SOW/invoice terms). If a conflict exists, the signed client agreement controls.

4) Intellectual Property (Our Content)

  • Unless expressly stated otherwise, PLC owns the Site and all original Site content, including text, layout, design, and PLC-created graphics and compilations.

  • You may view the Site and share links for personal, noncommercial use.

  • You may not, without prior written permission:

    • copy, reproduce, republish, sell, license, distribute, or exploit Site content;

    • scrape, harvest, or use automated tools to collect or repurpose Site content;

    • remove proprietary notices; or

    • create derivative works based on Site content.

5) Third-Party Trademarks, Logos, and Commentary

  • Third-party names, logos, and trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

  • Any third-party marks shown on the Site are used for identification, commentary, criticism, reporting, or educational purposes.

  • No sponsorship, endorsement, affiliation, or partnership with third parties is implied.

6) User Submissions (What You Send Us)

If you submit any information or materials through the Site (including messages, attachments, briefs, images, files, or other content):

  • You represent and warrant that:

    • you own it or have sufficient rights/permissions to provide it;

    • it does not violate any law, contract, or third-party rights; and

    • it is not malicious (no malware, exploits, or harmful code).

  • You grant PLC a limited, non-exclusive license to use the submission solely as needed to:

    • respond to you;

    • evaluate your request;

    • perform services if you become a client; and

    • maintain ordinary business and compliance records.

Do not submit confidential, sensitive, or restricted information unless you have a signed written agreement with PLC that specifically addresses confidentiality and handling.

7) Portfolio and Public Display

  • Unless a signed client agreement explicitly prohibits it, you agree PLC may display completed work (including your name and marks as necessary to identify the project) in PLC’s portfolio, case studies, and marketing.

  • If you require confidentiality, it must be agreed to in writing before services begin.

8) Prohibited Use (Fraud, Abuse, and Bad Actors)

You agree you will not:

  • violate any law or regulation;

  • infringe intellectual property, privacy, publicity, or other rights;

  • impersonate any person/entity or misrepresent affiliation or authority;

  • attempt unauthorized access to the Site or any systems supporting the Site;

  • scrape, crawl, probe, reverse engineer, or automate access in a way that degrades performance or circumvents restrictions;

  • transmit spam, phishing, credential harvesting, or fraudulent solicitations;

  • upload or transmit malware or harmful code; or

  • harass, defame, threaten, or abuse others.

PLC may investigate suspected violations and may restrict access, refuse service, or take other lawful action at its discretion.

9) Anti-Impersonation and Payment Safety

  • Official communications about PLC services are provided through the Site and/or from PLC-controlled channels.

  • You are responsible for verifying the legitimacy of messages requesting money, sensitive information, or changes to payment instructions.

  • PLC is not responsible for losses arising from third-party impersonation, phishing, or scams outside PLC’s control to the maximum extent permitted by law.

10) External Links and Third-Party Tools

  • The Site may include third-party links and embedded tools.

  • PLC does not control third-party sites/services and is not responsible for their content, security, availability, or practices.

  • Your use of third-party sites/services is at your own risk.

11) Disclosures (Affiliate / Sponsored / Testimonials)

  • If PLC receives compensation in connection with content (including affiliate commissions or sponsored placements), PLC will disclose that relationship in a clear manner near the relevant content when required.

  • Testimonials and examples reflect individual experiences and do not guarantee similar results.

12) Disclaimers (No Warranties; No Advice)

To the maximum extent permitted by law:

  • The Site and all content are provided “AS IS” and “AS AVAILABLE.”

  • PLC disclaims all warranties, express or implied, including warranties of accuracy, completeness, timeliness, non-infringement, merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, availability, and security.

  • Site content is general information and not legal, financial, medical, or other professional advice.

  • PLC does not guarantee outcomes, rankings, business results, conversions, revenue, or performance.

13) Limitation of Liability (Strong Cap)

To the maximum extent permitted by law:

  • PLC is not liable for any indirect, incidental, consequential, special, exemplary, or punitive damages, or for lost profits, lost revenue, loss of data, business interruption, reputational harm, or procurement of substitute services.

  • PLC’s total liability for any claim related to the Site or these Terms is capped at $100.00 in the aggregate.

This section applies even if PLC has been advised of the possibility of damages, and regardless of the theory of liability. Some jurisdictions do not allow certain limitations; in those jurisdictions, limitations apply to the maximum extent permitted by law.

14) Indemnification (You Protect Us)

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless PLC and its owners, members, managers, employees, and contractors from any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising out of or related to:

  • your use of the Site;

  • your submissions;

  • your violation of these Terms; or

  • your violation of any third-party rights or laws.

15) One-Year Claim Deadline

To the maximum extent permitted by law, any claim relating to the Site or these Terms must be brought within one (1) year of the date the claim arose, or it is permanently barred.

16) Disputes: Mandatory Arbitration + Class Action Waiver

THIS SECTION AFFECTS YOUR RIGHTS.

16.1 Informal dispute notice first

Before filing arbitration, you must send a Notice of Dispute via the Contact form on the Site’s Contact page with:

  • your full legal name and contact information;

  • the specific page or feature involved;

  • what happened and when;

  • the relief you are requesting; and

  • supporting documents (if any).

You and PLC agree to attempt to resolve the dispute for 30 days after the Notice is submitted.

16.2 Binding arbitration

If not resolved within 30 days, any dispute, claim, or controversy arising from or relating to the Site or these Terms will be resolved by binding arbitration, not in court, except as stated below.

16.3 Exceptions

Either party may:

  • bring an individual claim in small claims court if eligible; and/or

  • seek injunctive relief in a court of competent jurisdiction for unauthorized access, scraping, security abuse, or misuse of intellectual property.

16.4 Class action waiver

You and PLC agree that:

  • claims may be brought only in an individual capacity; and

  • there will be no class actions, collective actions, representative actions, or private-attorney-general actions.

16.5 Arbitration administration and location

  • Arbitration will be administered by a nationally recognized arbitration provider selected by PLC under the provider’s applicable rules.

  • The arbitration location will be Kendall County, Illinois, unless the parties agree to remote arbitration.

16.6 30-day arbitration opt-out

You may opt out of arbitration within 30 days of your first use of the Site by submitting an “ARBITRATION OPT-OUT” notice through the Contact form on the Site’s Contact page. The opt-out notice must include:

  • your full legal name;

  • your state of residence; and

  • the date of your first Site use.

If you opt out, arbitration and the class action waiver in this Section 16 do not apply to you.

17) Governing Law and Venue

  • These Terms are governed by the laws of Illinois, excluding conflict-of-laws rules.

  • If a claim is permitted to proceed in court (for example, small claims or injunctive relief), exclusive venue is state or federal courts located in Kendall County, Illinois, and you consent to jurisdiction there.

18) Intellectual Property Concerns (Non-DMCA Process)

If you believe content on the Site infringes your rights (copyright, trademark, or otherwise), submit a notice through the Contact form on the Site’s Contact page including:

  • the specific URL(s);

  • identification of the material at issue;

  • identification of the work/right claimed;

  • your name and contact information; and

  • a statement that you have a good-faith belief the use is unauthorized and that your notice is accurate.

PLC may, at its discretion, remove, modify, or maintain content based on its review and applicable law.

19) Severability, No Waiver, Assignment, Entire Agreement

  • If any provision is held unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in effect.

  • Failure to enforce any provision is not a waiver.

  • PLC may assign these Terms; you may not assign without PLC’s written consent.

  • These Terms are the entire agreement regarding Site use.

PRIVACY POLICY

20) Information We Collect

20.1 Information you provide

  • Name, email address, message contents, and any files you choose to submit through Site forms.

20.2 Information collected automatically

  • IP address, browser type, device type, operating system

  • approximate location derived from IP address (not precise GPS)

  • pages viewed, referral paths, timestamps

  • security/performance logs

20.3 Cookies and similar technologies

  • The Site may use cookies and similar technologies for essential functionality, security, and analytics.

  • You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling cookies may impact Site functionality.

21) How We Use Information

We use information to:

  • respond to inquiries;

  • evaluate and provide services;

  • operate, maintain, secure, and improve the Site;

  • prevent fraud, spam, and abuse; and

  • comply with legal obligations and enforce these Terms.

22) How We Share Information

We may share information:

  • with service providers that support Site operation (hosting, forms, security, analytics);

  • to comply with law or lawful requests; and

  • to protect rights, safety, and the integrity of the Site.

We do not sell personal information for money.

23) Data Retention

  • Inquiry submissions: retained up to 24 months from last interaction.

  • Client administrative records (if you become a client): retained up to 7 years for business, tax, and compliance purposes.

  • Security logs: retained up to 12 months unless needed for incident response or legal compliance.

24) Security

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards appropriate for a small business website. No system is completely secure. You use the Site at your own risk.

25) Children’s Privacy

The Site is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.

26) Privacy Requests

To request access, correction, or deletion of personal information you have provided, submit a request through the Contact form on the Site’s Contact page with the subject line “PRIVACY REQUEST.” We may need to verify your identity and may deny requests where permitted or required by law.

27) Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy by posting a revised version with a new effective date. Continued use of the Site after changes means you accept the revised policy.

28) Contacting Us

All legal notices, privacy requests, and general inquiries must be submitted through the Contact form on the Site’s Contact page.