Regulatory Disclosures

1. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Notice & Truth in Advertising

In accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (16 CFR Part 255), Direct Handshake discloses that:

• Illustrative Examples: Industry "pairings" shown on directhandshake.com (for example "Portfolio manager ↔ turnover & maintenance crew") are illustrative descriptions of the kinds of introductions we make. They are not client testimonials or case studies.
• Response Targets: References to replying "within 24 hours" or "one business day" describe our service target, not a guarantee. Actual timing depends on the request, location, and counterparty availability.
• Compensation Disclosure: Direct Handshake charges an agreed introduction fee once a qualified introduction is made, or a monthly retainer fee for ongoing buyer sourcing. Once introduced, both parties deal directly; Direct Handshake does not set or mark up rates for the underlying work.
• Future Testimonials: Any client results or testimonials published in future will reflect genuine engagements, shared with the client's permission.

2. Independent Trade & Professional Licensing Boundaries

Direct Handshake is an independent introduction and routing desk. Direct Handshake is NOT:

• A licensed general contractor, architectural firm, engineering practice, or master tradesperson under state contracting licensing boards.
• An employer, supervisor, or legal insurer of independent contractors.
• A licensed legal, financial, or tax advisory practice.

All physical services (such as commercial cleaning, electrical work, plumbing, HVAC maintenance, painting, and construction trades) are performed exclusively by independent businesses. Those independent businesses are solely responsible for securing, maintaining, and providing required municipal permits, state licenses, and insurance coverages.

3. Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) & Digital Accessibility Statement

Direct Handshake is committed to providing a website accessible to the widest possible audience, regardless of technology or ability. We aim to conform to Level AA of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 (WCAG 2.1 AA), which also helps us meet our obligations under Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

• Semantic Structure: Pages are authored with proper HTML5 semantic landmarks (header, nav, main, section, article, footer) and clear heading hierarchy.
• Color Contrast: All text and essential graphical elements strictly meet or exceed the WCAG 2.1 AA minimum contrast requirement of 4.5:1 against the background canvas (with body text achieving 9:1 to 14:1 contrast ratios).
• Keyboard Navigability: All navigation links, buttons, and form inputs are fully accessible via keyboard navigation, featuring visible, high-contrast focus indicators.
• Skip Navigation: A dedicated "Skip to main content" link is provided at the top of every document for screen reader and keyboard users.

If you encounter any difficulty accessing any portion of our website or need assistance submitting an intake brief, please email our desk directly at abuzar@directhandshake.com with the subject line "Accessibility Assistance". We will gladly accommodate your requirements.

4. Equal Opportunity & Non-Discrimination Notice

Direct Handshake conducts routing operations in full compliance with United States federal and state civil rights laws. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or veteran status in evaluating operator requirements or welcoming qualified specialist counterparties to our network.

5. Inquiries & Legal Notices

Direct Handshake Desk
Attention: Regulatory Affairs & Compliance
Email: abuzar@directhandshake.com
Website: directhandshake.com