Terms of Service

Strategic Marketing Group helps small businesses solve practical challenges through business strategy, technology, and specialized brands.

SMG operates, develops, or supports multiple brands, ventures, products, and platforms that may provide services in areas including:

• business strategy and operational solutions;
• marketing and communications;
• website and digital services;
• software and technology;
• hosting and infrastructure;
• accounting, tax, and business services through applicable brands;
• email and communication technology;
• promotional products;
• publishing and creative services;
• digital products;
• subscription services; and
• other business-related products and services.

Certain SMG brands maintain separate websites, terms, privacy policies, service agreements, or other legal documents.

If you purchase or use a product or service directly from another SMG brand, the terms applicable to that brand or service may govern your transaction in addition to, or instead of, portions of these Terms.

Visiting the Site, submitting a form, sending an email, requesting information, participating in an initial conversation, or receiving general information from SMG does not by itself create a client, customer, advisory, accounting, tax, legal, consulting, fiduciary, or other professional relationship.

A formal engagement begins only when SMG or the applicable SMG brand accepts the engagement through an applicable arrangement such as:

• an engagement letter;
• signed agreement;
• proposal;
• statement of work;
• order confirmation;
• subscription enrollment;
• online checkout;
• service-specific agreement; or
• other documented acceptance of the scope and terms.

Any separate agreement governing a particular engagement controls if it conflicts with these general Site Terms.

Content published on the Site is provided for general informational and business purposes.

Unless expressly stated in a separate engagement agreement, Site content does not constitute:

• legal advice;
• tax advice;
• accounting advice;
• investment advice;
• financial advice;
• cybersecurity advice;
• regulatory advice; or
• other professional advice specific to your circumstances.

You should obtain appropriate professional advice before acting on information where professional review is appropriate.

By using the Site, you represent that:

• you are legally capable of entering into these Terms;
• the information you provide is accurate to the best of your knowledge; and
• if you use the Site on behalf of a company or other organization, you have authority to act on its behalf.

If you do not have authority to bind an organization, you may not represent that organization as having agreed to contractual obligations.

You agree to use the Site only for lawful purposes.

You may not:

• use the Site in violation of applicable law or regulation;
• attempt to gain unauthorized access to the Site, accounts, servers, databases, or systems;
• interfere with the operation, security, integrity, or performance of the Site;
• introduce malware, malicious code, viruses, automated exploits, or harmful technology;
• attempt to bypass authentication, access controls, security protections, or rate limits;
• impersonate another person or organization;
• submit false, fraudulent, misleading, or deceptive information;
• use automated scraping, crawling, data-mining, or extraction technologies except where expressly permitted;
• use the Site to infringe intellectual property, privacy, publicity, or other rights;
• transmit unlawful, threatening, abusive, defamatory, obscene, fraudulent, or malicious material;
• attempt to reverse engineer Site software or technology except where applicable law expressly permits it;
• use Site resources in a manner that imposes an unreasonable or disproportionate burden on our systems; or
• use the Site for any purpose that could damage SMG, its brands, customers, partners, systems, or reputation.

We may restrict or terminate Site access where we reasonably believe these Terms have been violated.

Certain SMG services may allow or require you to create an account.

If you create an account, you agree to:

• provide accurate and current information;
• maintain and update account information where necessary;
• protect your password and login credentials;
• prevent unauthorized use of your account; and
• promptly notify us if you become aware of unauthorized access or a security incident involving your account.

You are responsible for activity conducted using your credentials unless applicable law provides otherwise.

The Site may display, describe, sell, or provide access to products and services offered by SMG or its brands.

Descriptions may include:

• services;
• subscriptions;
• digital products;
• software;
• hosting;
• domain-related services;
• promotional products;
• consulting or strategic services;
• technology services; or
• other business offerings.

Availability may vary.

We reserve the right, subject to applicable law and any binding agreement, to:

• modify products or services;
• discontinue products or services;
• limit availability;
• correct errors;
• reject or cancel an order;
• change features;
• change pricing for future purchases; or
• impose reasonable usage limits.

Certain services may be governed by additional terms.

For example, a particular service may have its own:

• engagement agreement;
• statement of work;
• subscription terms;
• acceptable-use policy;
• refund or cancellation policy;
• service-level terms;
• hosting terms;
• product license;
• payment schedule; or
• customer responsibilities.

By purchasing or using such a service, you agree to the applicable service-specific terms.

If service-specific terms conflict with these general Terms, the more specific terms generally control with respect to that particular service.

Prices displayed on the Site are subject to change unless a price has already become binding under an accepted order, agreement, or applicable law.

Unless otherwise stated:

• prices are quoted in U.S. dollars;
• taxes, government charges, shipping, third-party costs, or other applicable fees may be additional;
• custom work may require a separate estimate or proposal; and
• quoted prices may be based on the scope and information available at the time the quote is provided.

If the scope changes, additional fees may apply subject to the applicable engagement terms.

We may accept payment methods including:

• credit or debit cards;
• Stripe-supported payment methods;
• PayPal where offered;
• ACH or bank transfer where offered; and
• other payment methods made available by SMG.

By providing a payment method, you represent that you are authorized to use it and authorize us or our payment processor to charge amounts properly due under the applicable purchase or agreement.

Payment processing may be provided by third parties such as Stripe or other payment processors.

You agree to provide accurate billing and payment information and to update it when necessary.

You are responsible for:

• charges properly incurred under your account;
• applicable taxes;
• authorized recurring charges;
• fees described before purchase; and
• amounts due under an applicable agreement.

If a payment fails, we may:

• attempt the charge again where permitted;
• request another payment method;
• suspend affected services;
• limit account functionality; or
• take other reasonable collection steps.

Certain products or services may be sold on a recurring subscription basis.

Before enrollment, applicable subscription terms should identify material information such as:

• the price;
• billing frequency;
• renewal terms;
• trial terms, if any;
• cancellation method; and
• material conditions applicable to the subscription.

Where you knowingly enroll in an automatically renewing subscription, you authorize recurring charges according to the terms presented at enrollment until the subscription is canceled or otherwise terminated.

Where a service automatically renews, we will administer automatic renewal and cancellation in accordance with the applicable subscription terms and applicable law.

Where required, automatic-renewal offers will include appropriate disclosures regarding:

• recurring charges;
• renewal frequency;
• cancellation;
• pricing; and
• other material terms.

We intend to provide a cancellation method that is reasonably accessible and appropriate to the manner in which the applicable service was purchased, as required by applicable law.

Specific cancellation procedures may vary by product or SMG brand.

Cancellation normally stops future renewal charges but does not automatically create a right to a refund for amounts already earned, consumed, committed, or charged unless the applicable service terms provide otherwise or applicable law requires a refund.

From time to time, we may offer:

• free trials;
• discounted introductory periods;
• promotional pricing;
• credits;
• coupons; or
• special offers.

Additional terms may apply.

If a trial or promotional period converts to a paid subscription, the applicable disclosure provided at enrollment will govern the conversion and recurring charges.

Refund eligibility depends on the applicable product, service, brand, and agreement.

Unless otherwise stated in a service-specific agreement or required by law:

• completed professional services may be non-refundable;
• work already performed may be deducted from any refundable amount;
• third-party costs may be non-refundable once incurred;
• domain-registration or similar external fees may be non-refundable;
• customized products may have limited refund rights;
• digital products may have special refund restrictions; and
• subscription cancellation generally affects future billing rather than past charges.

Where a separate refund, pause, cancellation, or service policy applies, that policy controls.

Certain SMG brands may sell promotional, branded, customized, or physical products.

For custom products:

• proofs or specifications may require customer approval;
• colors, dimensions, materials, and appearance may vary within normal production tolerances;
• production may begin after approval;
• changes requested after production begins may result in additional charges or may not be possible;
• customer-provided artwork must be authorized for use; and
• production and delivery dates may be estimates unless expressly guaranteed.

The applicable order terms control the specific transaction.

You may provide SMG with materials such as:

• text;
• logos;
• photographs;
• graphics;
• data;
• trademarks;
• business information;
• documents;
• content;
• files; or
• other materials.

You retain ownership of materials you own.

By providing materials to us for a requested service, you grant SMG and applicable service providers a limited right to use, reproduce, modify, transmit, store, or otherwise process those materials as reasonably necessary to provide the requested service.

You represent that you have the necessary rights, permissions, or licenses to provide those materials and authorize their use.

If you submit:

• comments;
• testimonials;
• reviews;
• suggestions;
• feedback;
• ideas; or
• similar voluntary communications,

you represent that the submission is lawful and does not violate another person's rights.

We do not acquire ownership of your personal confidential information merely because it is submitted to us.

If you separately authorize publication of a testimonial, review, case study, logo, or similar material, the scope of that authorization may be governed by the applicable consent or agreement.

Unless otherwise stated, the Site and its content are owned by or licensed to Strategic Marketing Group, LLC or the applicable rights holder.

Protected content may include:

• text;
• graphics;
• logos;
• trademarks;
• brand names;
• images;
• photographs;
• videos;
• layouts;
• designs;
• documents;
• downloadable materials;
• software;
• source code;
• interfaces;
• databases; and
• other Site content.

Nothing in these Terms transfers ownership of SMG intellectual property to you.

Subject to these Terms, SMG grants you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable right to access and use the Site for legitimate personal or business purposes.

You may not, without authorization:

• reproduce substantial portions of Site content;
• resell Site content;
• distribute Site materials commercially;
• remove copyright, trademark, or proprietary notices;
• create unauthorized derivative works;
• use SMG trademarks in a manner suggesting endorsement; or
• exploit Site content for commercial purposes.

Strategic Marketing Group may own, license, develop, operate, or use trademarks and brand identifiers associated with its brands and ventures.

Brand names, logos, product names, service names, slogans, and design elements may be protected by trademark, copyright, or other laws.

No license to use a trademark or brand identifier is granted merely because it appears on the Site.

Third-party trademarks, logos, products, software, images, or other materials appearing on the Site remain the property of their respective owners.

References to third parties do not necessarily imply:

• endorsement;
• sponsorship;
• affiliation; or
• partnership.

If you believe content available through the Site infringes your copyright or other intellectual property rights, contact:

legal@strategicmktgroup.com

Please include sufficient information for us to identify and evaluate the material and your claimed rights.

The Site may interact with or link to third-party services such as:

• Stripe;
• Google;
• Mailchimp;
• hosting providers;
• domain registrars;
• social networks;
• communications providers;
• software vendors;
• maps;
• embedded media; or
• other external services.

Third-party services are governed by their own terms, privacy policies, security practices, service availability, and contractual arrangements.

We aim to maintain a reliable Site but do not guarantee uninterrupted or error-free access.

Site availability may be affected by:

• maintenance;
• updates;
• internet outages;
• hosting failures;
• cyber incidents;
• third-party systems;
• software errors;
• infrastructure failures;
• events beyond our reasonable control; or
• other technical circumstances.

We may modify, suspend, restrict, or discontinue Site functionality where reasonably necessary.

We use reasonable measures intended to protect the Site and information processed through it.

However, no internet service can be guaranteed completely secure.

You are responsible for using reasonable safeguards when interacting with online services, including protecting account credentials and avoiding submission of highly sensitive information through general Site forms.

For additional information regarding personal information, review our Privacy & Cookies Policy.

Business, marketing, technology, operational, financial, software, hosting, and other services may involve factors outside SMG's control.

Unless expressly guaranteed in a written agreement, SMG does not guarantee:

• specific revenue;
• profit;
• rankings;
• leads;
• conversions;
• traffic;
• search-engine position;
• audience growth;
• sales;
• financing;
• regulatory approval;
• tax outcomes;
• technical uptime;
• deliverability;
• cybersecurity outcomes;
• business growth; or
• other particular results.

Past results do not guarantee future results.

Any defined deliverable, performance commitment, service level, or warranty expressly stated in a separate agreement remains subject to that agreement.

Any business estimate, projection, forecast, scenario, recommendation, strategy, or similar analysis may depend on assumptions and information available at the time.

Actual results may differ.

Unless expressly agreed otherwise, such information should not be treated as a guarantee.

You remain responsible for business decisions and for determining whether a recommendation is appropriate for your circumstances.

SMG may use artificial intelligence, automation, software agents, analytics, or other technology tools to support:

• research;
• drafting;
• development;
• analysis;
• testing;
• design;
• operations;
• customer service;
• security; or
• other business functions.

Use of technology does not eliminate human oversight where SMG determines human review is appropriate.

We do not represent that automated outputs are error-free.

If you provide a mobile number and opt in to receive text messages from Strategic Marketing Group, you may receive messages related to:

• account notifications;
• customer support;
• appointments;
• service updates;
• delivery confirmations;
• billing or renewal matters;
• security notifications; and
• promotional offers.

We will also honor other legally effective methods of withdrawing consent where applicable.

If you opt in to marketing emails, we may send promotional communications regarding SMG or applicable SMG brands.

You may unsubscribe using the link included in applicable marketing emails.

Even after opting out of promotional email, you may continue to receive communications that are:

• transactional;
• account-related;
• billing-related;
• security-related;
• support-related; or
• otherwise necessary for an existing business relationship.

Your use of the Site is also subject to our Privacy & Cookies Policy .

The Privacy & Cookies Policy explains matters including:

• information collection;
• cookies;
• analytics;
• payments;
• SMS information;
• marketing communications;
• security;
• privacy rights; and
• how to contact us regarding privacy.

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the Site and general Site content are provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis.

Except for warranties expressly provided in a separate written agreement or required by law, SMG disclaims warranties regarding the Site, including implied warranties of:

• merchantability;
• fitness for a particular purpose;
• non-infringement; and
• uninterrupted availability.

Nothing in this section eliminates a warranty that cannot legally be excluded.

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, Strategic Marketing Group, LLC and its owners, officers, employees, contractors, agents, affiliates, and applicable brands will not be liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, exemplary, or punitive damages arising from or relating to use of the Site.

This may include damages related to:

• lost profits;
• lost revenue;
• loss of data;
• business interruption;
• loss of opportunity; or
• reputational harm,

where such limitation is legally permitted.

For claims arising solely from use of the public Site and not from a separately contracted service, SMG's aggregate liability will not exceed the greater of:

• the amount you paid SMG specifically for access to the Site during the twelve months preceding the event giving rise to the claim; or
• one hundred U.S. dollars ($100).

A separate service agreement may establish a different limitation of liability for a particular engagement.

Nothing in these Terms limits liability that cannot lawfully be limited or excluded.

To the extent permitted by applicable law, you agree to indemnify and hold harmless Strategic Marketing Group, LLC and its owners, officers, employees, contractors, agents, affiliates, and applicable brands from third-party claims, liabilities, losses, damages, and reasonable expenses arising from:

• your unlawful use of the Site;
• your violation of these Terms;
• materials you provide without necessary rights or permission;
• your infringement of another person's rights; or
• fraudulent or intentionally wrongful conduct.

We may suspend or terminate access to the Site or an account where reasonably necessary because of:

• violation of these Terms;
• nonpayment;
• suspected fraud;
• abuse;
• security risks;
• unlawful activity;
• legal requirements; or
• material risk to SMG or others.

Termination of a particular paid service is also subject to the agreement governing that service.

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Maryland, without regard to conflict-of-law principles, except where applicable law requires otherwise.

Unless applicable law provides otherwise or a separate agreement specifies another forum, disputes relating to these Terms or the Site may be brought in a court of competent jurisdiction serving Montgomery County, Maryland or the applicable federal court having jurisdiction.

You and SMG consent to the jurisdiction of those courts to the extent legally permitted.

Nothing in these Terms is intended to waive or limit any consumer protection, warranty, cancellation, privacy, or other right that cannot legally be waived.

Where these Terms conflict with a mandatory consumer-protection requirement, the applicable law controls.

SMG will not be responsible for a failure or delay caused by circumstances beyond its reasonable control to the extent permitted by applicable law.

Such events may include:

• natural disasters;
• severe weather;
• fire;
• war;
• terrorism;
• civil unrest;
• labor disputes;
• utility failures;
• internet or telecommunications outages;
• cyberattacks;
• epidemics or public-health emergencies;
• government actions;
• third-party infrastructure failures; or
• similar events beyond reasonable control.

This section does not excuse payment obligations for services already properly provided.

You may not assign contractual rights or obligations under these Terms where assignment would materially affect SMG without our written consent, except where applicable law provides otherwise.

SMG may assign these Terms in connection with:

• a merger;
• acquisition;
• reorganization;
• sale of assets;
• affiliate restructuring; or
• similar business transaction,

subject to applicable law.

If any provision of these Terms is held invalid, illegal, or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will remain effective to the fullest extent permitted by law.

Failure by SMG to enforce a provision of these Terms does not waive the right to enforce that provision later.

A waiver is effective only to the extent expressly provided.

These Terms and the Privacy & Cookies Policy constitute the general agreement governing use of the public Site.

They do not replace a separate:

• engagement letter;
• proposal;
• statement of work;
• order;
• subscription agreement;
• product license;
• service agreement; or
• other contract governing a specific transaction.

The more specific agreement controls the applicable service if there is a conflict.

We may update these Terms to reflect changes in:

• our business;
• services;
• products;
• technology;
• Site functionality;
• legal requirements; or
• operational practices.

When we update these Terms, we will revise the Last Updated date at the top of this page.

Changes apply prospectively unless applicable law or the applicable agreement provides otherwise.

Questions about these Terms may be directed to: