4 min read
Do you own the records you want to license?
Access is not ownership. Check client files, staff messages, and software terms first.
Start with who created the records
Records your team created to run your own business are the easiest to license: sales notes, support tickets, internal chat, and process documents.
Records you hold for someone else are different. Agencies, accountants, law firms, and consultants often keep client files they may not license, even when the files sit in their own systems.
Check your client contracts
Read the confidentiality and data clauses in your client agreements. Many limit use to delivering the service.
When a contract limits use, leave those records out, or ask the client for written permission first.
Think about staff messages
Team chat and email include messages from employees. Some are private, personal, or sensitive.
Agree what stays out, such as direct messages, HR channels, and health or pay details. Check your employment terms and local law.
Read your software terms
Most business tools let account owners export their own data. Exporting and licensing are separate questions.
Check the terms of the tools involved, and keep a note of what you checked.
Write down what you checked
A short note of sources, owners, and limits helps buyers trust the records and speeds up review.
If something is unclear, say so in the form. Open questions are checked before anything is shared.