Appreciation post: Handshake deals used to mean something in this business.

Back when I started, a lot of jobs were sealed with a verbal agreement and a handshake. Now, everyone wants everything in writing with layers of legal stuff. I get that contracts protect people, but that personal trust built stronger working relationships. In my view, we've lost something important by moving away from that simple honor system. Your mileage may vary, but I stand by how things used to be.

3 comments

3 Comments

river1901mo ago

Dude totally! I landed my first big carpentry job with just a handshake. The guy still sends me work ten years later, never a single contract. Things just felt more solid back then, you know?

sethadams1mo ago

My first job in high school was at a family diner that operated on verbal agreements. I used to believe that without a contract, you were just asking for trouble. Ngl, your carpentry story hit home because it shows trust can actually work long-term. A decade of business on a handshake proves that personal word still matters. Maybe the problem isn't the lack of contracts, but the lack of good people you can count on. That kind of solid feeling back then probably came from knowing your word was your bond.

jake_anderson2423d ago

Yeah, that "word is your bond" feeling is real. I had a lawn mowing client like that for years, just a handshake deal.