These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your use of services provided by Helix Stax LLC ("Helix Stax," "we," "us," or "our"), a Virginia limited liability company with its registered address in Hampton Roads, Virginia. By engaging our services, purchasing an assessment, or signing a statement of work, you agree to these Terms.

If you do not agree, do not use our services.

1. Eligibility

You must be at least 18 years old and have legal capacity to enter a contract. If you are engaging Helix Stax on behalf of a company, you represent that you are authorized to bind that company to these Terms.

Our services are designed for businesses. Individual consumers purchasing for personal, non-commercial use should contact us first to confirm fit.

2. Services

Helix Stax provides technology consulting, CTGA maturity assessments, and platform advisory services. The current service catalog is published on our services page. Specific deliverables, timelines, pricing, and scope for each engagement are defined in a separate statement of work or signed contract.

We may update the service catalog and pricing from time to time. Changes do not affect engagements already in progress under a signed contract.

3. Customer Portal

Clients with active recurring engagements can access a self-service portal to view invoices, update payment methods, and manage subscriptions. Portal access is provided through Stripe, our payment processor. You are responsible for keeping your portal login credentials secure.

4. Payment Terms

All prices are in United States Dollars (USD). Applicable taxes are calculated at checkout through Stripe Tax.

Client pays processing fees. Every invoice and checkout includes a "Payment Processing Fee" line item: 3% for credit or debit card payments, 1% (capped at $5) for ACH direct debit. These fees are disclosed before you complete payment. Helix Stax does not absorb processing fees.

Invoiced recurring clients: payment terms are Net 15 unless your contract states otherwise. Invoices not paid within 15 days of the invoice date accrue a late fee of 1.5% per month (18% annualized), calculated on the outstanding balance.

One-time purchases: payment is due at checkout. Work begins once payment clears.

If a payment fails or is charged back, we may suspend active work until the balance is resolved.

5. Refunds

Short version, with detail on the refunds page:

Full refund within 7 days of assessment kickoff, before substantive work begins.
Pro-rata refund if work has started, based on hours logged and deliverables produced.
No refunds after you accept a final deliverable.
Recurring retainers can be cancelled with 30 days' written notice. You are billed for the notice period; no refunds for the current month.

6. Intellectual Property

What we keep. Helix Stax retains ownership of its frameworks, methodologies, assessment instruments, scoring models, tooling, templates, and pre-existing intellectual property. The CTGA Framework and Helix Score are proprietary to Helix Stax.

What you keep. You retain ownership of your own data, your business information, and deliverables specifically produced for your engagement (assessment reports, roadmaps, custom configurations). Once full payment is received, we grant you a perpetual, non-exclusive license to use the delivered work within your organization.

You may not resell, redistribute, or republish our frameworks, methodologies, or proprietary tooling without written permission.

7. Confidentiality

Confidential information exchanged during an engagement is governed by a separate Non-Disclosure Agreement signed at engagement kickoff. Where no NDA is in place, both parties agree to treat non-public business information as confidential for a period of two years from disclosure.

8. Warranties and Disclaimers

We provide services with commercially reasonable care and skill. We do not warrant any specific business outcome, revenue increase, cost reduction, audit result, or regulatory approval. Consulting work depends on factors outside our control, including your team's execution of our recommendations.

Except as stated above, services are provided "as is" without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, including warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

9. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, the total liability of Helix Stax for any claim arising out of or related to our services is limited to the lesser of (a) the fees you paid us in the twelve months preceding the event giving rise to the claim, or (b) ten thousand United States Dollars ($10,000).

Helix Stax is not liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including lost profits, lost revenue, or lost data, even if we have been advised of the possibility of such damages.

[REVIEW BY LAWYER: liability cap language and disclaimers should be reviewed by Virginia counsel before production use.]

10. Indemnification

Each party agrees to indemnify, defend, and hold the other harmless from third-party claims arising from its own breach of these Terms, its negligence, or its willful misconduct. The indemnifying party's obligation is contingent on prompt written notice of the claim and reasonable cooperation in the defense.

11. Termination

For cause. Either party may terminate an engagement if the other materially breaches these Terms or a statement of work and fails to cure the breach within 30 days of written notice.

For convenience. Either party may terminate a recurring engagement with 30 days' written notice. You remain responsible for fees through the notice period. Fixed-scope engagements in progress may be terminated for convenience, but you remain responsible for work completed up to termination.

On termination, we will deliver any work-in-progress and invoice for work completed. Sections that should reasonably survive termination (intellectual property, confidentiality, liability, dispute resolution) survive.

12. Modifications

We may update these Terms. Material changes will be posted on this page with a new "Last updated" date, and active clients will be notified by email at least 30 days before the changes take effect. Continued use of our services after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

Terms in effect at the time you signed a contract govern that engagement unless both parties agree in writing to the updated version.

13. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

These Terms are governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia, without regard to conflict-of-law principles.

Any dispute arising out of or related to these Terms or our services will be resolved by binding arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association under its Commercial Arbitration Rules. The arbitration will take place in Richmond, Virginia. Judgment on the arbitration award may be entered in any court of competent jurisdiction.

Each party bears its own costs and attorneys' fees, unless the arbitrator awards otherwise. Either party may seek injunctive or equitable relief in court for intellectual property infringement or breach of confidentiality without first proceeding to arbitration.

[REVIEW BY LAWYER: binding arbitration clause and venue should be reviewed by Virginia counsel. Some states (e.g., California) limit enforceability of certain arbitration terms against consumers.]

14. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is held invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions continue in full force. The invalid provision will be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it enforceable while preserving its original intent.

15. Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with any signed statement of work, contract, or Non-Disclosure Agreement, constitute the entire agreement between you and Helix Stax regarding our services. They supersede any prior discussions, proposals, or agreements on the same subject matter.

Conflicts between these Terms and a signed contract are resolved in favor of the signed contract.

16. Contact

Questions about these Terms: [email protected].

Helix Stax LLC
Hampton Roads, Virginia
United States