Five Experts — Terms of Service

Effective Date: October 1, 2025

Welcome to Five Experts, Inc. (“Five Experts,” “we,” “us,” or “our”).
These Terms of Service (“Terms”) govern your access to and use of the Five Experts platform, website, and related marketing, introduction, and engagement services (collectively, the “Platform”).

By creating an account, subscribing to a membership, or engaging through the Platform, you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, you may not use the Platform.

1. Purpose and Scope

Five Experts is a marketing and connection platform that helps growth companies, investors, and operators (“Clients”) discover and engage vetted professionals (“Experts”) for hourly, project-based, fractional, and advisory work.

Five Experts markets Experts to qualified companies, facilitates introductions, and manages longer-term engagements between Clients and Experts.
Five Experts does not employ Experts, act as an agent, or provide payroll or compliance services. All contractual relationships and payments between Clients and Experts occur directly between those parties unless otherwise specified.

2. Key Definitions

Expert – A professional who subscribes to a paid Five Experts membership and whose profile, expertise, and availability are marketed through the Platform.
Client – A company, investor, or operator using the Platform to identify and engage Experts.
Introduction – Any facilitated connection, communication, or disclosure by which a Client becomes aware of an Expert through Five Experts.
Engagement – Any professional relationship between a Client and an Expert following an Introduction, including hourly, fractional, advisory, or project-based work.
Affiliate – Any entity controlling, controlled by, or under common control with another party.

3. Platform Overview

Through the Platform:

Experts create profiles, gain marketing visibility, and are introduced to qualified Clients.
Clients browse, evaluate, and connect with vetted Experts.

Clients may book Experts directly for hourly or short-term projects through the Platform.
All fractional, advisory, or longer-term engagements initiated through the Platform are proprietary to Five Experts and must be facilitated, contracted, or recorded through Five Experts.

Five Experts facilitates introductions and manages engagement logistics but is not a party to independent hourly agreements between Clients and Experts.

4. Expert Membership

4.1 Membership Fees

Experts pay a recurring monthly or annual membership fee for marketing, visibility, and participation in the Five Experts network.
All membership fees are non-refundable, even if the Expert does not receive introductions or engagements during the term.

4.2 Auto-Renewal

Memberships automatically renew unless canceled at least five (5) business days before renewal.
Experts authorize Five Experts to charge the payment method on file for each renewal.

4.3 Expert Responsibilities

Experts agree to:

Maintain accurate and professional profiles;
Represent their experience truthfully;
Conduct all engagements ethically and independently; and
Notify Five Experts of any fractional or long-term engagement resulting from an Introduction.

Experts are independent contractors solely responsible for taxes, billing, and compliance obligations associated with their work.

5. Client Terms and 10% Marketing Fee

5.1 Client Access

Clients may browse public Expert profiles and request introductions at no cost.
Hourly and short-term engagements may be contracted directly between Clients and Experts through the Platform.
All fractional, advisory, and longer-term engagements initiated through Five Experts are proprietary and governed by these Terms.

5.2 Engagement Fee

If a Client engages or hires an Expert introduced through Five Experts for any fractional, advisory, consulting, or long-term role, the Client agrees to pay Five Experts a marketing and introduction fee equal to ten percent (10%) of:

The total contracted project value; or
The Expert’s first-year total cash compensation, whichever applies.

Clients pay Experts directly under their independent contracts. Five Experts invoices its 10% fee separately.

5.3 Payment Terms

Invoices are due within ten (10) business days of either (a) the engagement start date or (b) the date of Five Experts’ invoice, whichever occurs first.
Late payments accrue interest at 1.5% per month (or the maximum permitted by law).

5.4 Engagement Period

The Client’s obligation to pay the 10% fee remains in effect for twenty-four (24) months following any Introduction.
If the Client or any Affiliate engages that Expert within this period, the fee applies.

5.5 Engagement Value Disclosure

Clients must disclose to Five Experts the total contracted value, duration, and nature of any engagement formed with an Expert introduced through the Platform within five (5) business days of execution.
Disclosure may occur through a confirmation form, email, or other approved method.
If a Client fails to provide this disclosure, Five Experts may rely on reasonable estimates, market benchmarks, or confirmation from the Expert to determine the engagement value and corresponding 10% fee.
Failure to disclose constitutes a material breach of these Terms.

5.6 Fee Avoidance and Disclosure Obligation

If Five Experts reasonably believes that a Client and Expert have entered into, or intend to enter into, an engagement, financial relationship, or consulting arrangement arising from an introduction through the Platform — whether or not such relationship has been disclosed — Five Experts reserves the right to determine the estimated value of that engagement in good faith based on available information, market benchmarks, or comparable historical data.
Five Experts may invoice the Client for its standard ten percent (10%) marketing and introduction fee on that estimated value, and such estimate shall be binding unless disproven by written documentation from either party within ten (10) business days of invoice issuance.
Both the Client and the Expert acknowledge that intentional non-disclosure or misrepresentation of engagement terms or compensation constitutes a material breach of these Terms and may result in account termination, suspension of services, and pursuit of all remedies available under law.
This provision survives termination or expiration of any account, membership, or related agreement.

6. Non-Circumvention

For twenty-four (24) months following any Introduction, Clients agree not to circumvent the Platform by contacting, hiring, or engaging an Expert introduced by Five Experts outside of these Terms without paying the applicable 10% fee.
This clause extends to the Client’s affiliates, subsidiaries, and portfolio companies.
If a Client violates this provision, Five Experts may invoice the full fee immediately and pursue recovery of enforcement costs, including attorney’s fees.

7. Confidentiality and Marketing Use

7.1 Confidentiality

All non-public information shared through the Platform is confidential and may not be used or disclosed outside the scope of legitimate evaluation or engagement.

7.2 Marketing Rights

By joining the Platform, Experts grant Five Experts permission to use their name, image, and professional biography for marketing and promotional purposes related to the Platform, including newsletters, campaigns, and success features.
Five Experts will not disclose confidential compensation or contract details without consent.

8. Intellectual Property

All Platform content, trademarks, and branding are owned by Five Experts.
Experts retain ownership of their materials but grant Five Experts a non-exclusive license to display and promote them as part of the Platform experience.
Unauthorized reproduction, distribution, or modification of Five Experts’ materials is prohibited.

9. Payment Processing and Taxes

Five Experts does not process Client–Expert payments except where otherwise specified for hourly bookings through the Platform.
Experts and Clients are responsible for their own tax, legal, and regulatory obligations.
Five Experts bears no responsibility for payment timing, disputes, or collection between Clients and Experts.

10. Limitation of Liability

The Platform is provided “as is.”
Five Experts makes no warranty or guarantee regarding the outcome of any introduction, engagement, or relationship.
In no event shall Five Experts’ total liability exceed the total fees paid by the Client or Expert in the twelve (12) months preceding the claim.
Five Experts is not liable for indirect, incidental, or consequential damages, including loss of profits or business opportunities.

11. Indemnification

Clients and Experts agree to indemnify and hold harmless Five Experts, its officers, employees, and affiliates from any claims, damages, or losses arising from misrepresentation, contractual disputes, or violations of these Terms.

12. Termination

Five Experts may suspend or terminate access to the Platform for breach of these Terms or non-payment.
Termination does not relieve any party of obligations to pay outstanding fees.

13. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to conflict-of-law principles.
Disputes shall be resolved through confidential binding arbitration in [Insert City, State].
Five Experts may seek injunctive relief to enforce its rights or collect unpaid fees.

14. Modifications

Five Experts may update these Terms from time to time.
Continued use of the Platform after updates constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.
Five Experts will notify users of material changes by email or within the Platform.

15. Contact

For questions regarding these Terms, contact:
📩 growth@fiveexperts.com
🌐 www.fiveexperts.com

Acknowledgment

By subscribing to a membership, browsing Expert profiles, booking hourly engagements, or engaging through the Platform, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agreed to these Terms, including the 10% Client marketing fee, the engagement disclosure requirement, and the Fee Avoidance and Disclosure Obligation.