Clear terms.
No surprises.

Who we are

Groundwork. is a product of Emanuel Industries, LLC, a New York State limited liability company. When these Terms refer to "Groundwork.", "we", "us", or "our", we mean Emanuel Industries, LLC and its Groundwork. platform at groundworkbiz.com.

When these Terms refer to "you" or "your", we mean the individual or entity using the Groundwork. platform — whether as a borrower, business development organization, or loan officer.

What Groundwork. is (and is not)

Groundwork. is a business development and loan readiness platform. It helps small business owners organize their business information, complete structured modules, generate business plans, and prepare materials for conversations with lenders.

Groundwork. is not a credit reporting agency. We do not access, store, or report your personal credit information.

Groundwork. is not a depository institution, bank, credit union, or CDFI. We are a technology platform that helps borrowers prepare for conversations with those institutions.

Your account

To use Groundwork., you must receive authorized access and maintain an account with a valid email address and password. You are responsible for:

• Keeping your password secure and confidential
• All activity that occurs under your account
• Notifying us immediately at legal@groundworkbiz.com if you believe your account has been compromised
• Ensuring the information you provide is accurate and up to date

You must be at least 18 years old to use an account. One person or entity may not create or use multiple accounts to circumvent access restrictions or abuse the platform.

Acceptable use

You agree to use Groundwork. only for lawful purposes. You agree not to:

• Submit false, misleading, or fraudulent information including financial data, business descriptions, or ownership status
• Use the platform to prepare materials for any unlawful loan application or financial fraud
• Attempt to access other users accounts or data
• Reverse engineer, scrape, or copy the platform code, design, or content
• Represent that Groundwork. has approved, endorsed, or guaranteed your loan application

Your content and data

You own your content. The business information, financial data, and narrative responses you enter into Groundwork. remain yours. We do not claim ownership over your content.

By using Groundwork., you grant us a limited license to store, process, and display your content for the purpose of providing the platform services to you. The license ends when account deletion is processed, subject to applicable data-handling procedures and legal obligations.

We will not share your content with lenders or third parties without your explicit consent, except as required by law. For full details see our Privacy and Data Policy.

AI-powered features

Groundwork. uses artificial intelligence to power features including AI-assisted coaching and business-readiness tools. By using these features, you understand that:

• AI-generated content is based on the information you provide and is not guaranteed to be accurate or complete
• AI coaching suggestions are educational in nature and do not constitute financial, legal, or business advice
• You should review all AI-generated content before submitting it to a lender
• Groundwork. is not liable for decisions made based on AI-generated content
• Groundwork. uses AI-assisted features. Certain information entered into AI-enabled features may be processed by third-party AI providers. Review AI-generated content carefully before relying on or sharing it.
• AI output is not guaranteed to be accurate or complete, and AI features do not make lending decisions.

Access and partnership agreements

Organization access is established through a separate partnership agreement after Groundwork. and the organization discuss scope, terms, implementation, and onboarding.

Business owners and other participants receive access through authorized invitations connected to a participating organization. Any fees, service terms, or access limits are governed by the applicable agreement.

Termination

You can leave at any time. You may request deletion of your account through the platform or by contacting us. Groundwork. will process the request according to applicable data-handling procedures; these procedures may include verification, timing, and legally required retention.

We may suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms, submit fraudulent information, or engage in activity that harms other users or the platform. We will provide notice where possible, except in cases of suspected fraud or illegal activity.

Disclaimers and limitations

Groundwork. is provided "as is" without warranties of any kind. We do not warrant that the platform will be error-free or uninterrupted.

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Emanuel Industries, LLC shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, or consequential damages arising from your use of Groundwork. Our total liability shall not exceed the amount you paid us in the 12 months preceding the claim, or $100, whichever is greater.

Governing law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of New York. Any dispute shall be resolved in the state or federal courts located in Chemung County, New York, and you consent to the personal jurisdiction of those courts.

Changes to these terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. We will update the effective date and notify you of material changes by email or prominent notice on the platform. Your continued use after we post updated Terms constitutes your acceptance of those changes.

Contact

Questions about these Terms? Contact us: