No matter how well you know someone or how friendly your first meeting is, have them sign a detailed contract! You will have clients flake on you or try to take

No matter how well you know someone or how friendly your first meeting is, have them sign a detailed contract! You will have clients flake on you or try to take advantage of you. It's nice, for example, to be able to say "I didn't hear from you and couldn't get a hold of you for three months, so, according to the contract you signed, you've forfeited your deposit and our agreement is void. If you're ready to begin, we'll have to negotiate a new agreement."