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Break the project up into clear deliverables. Charge for delivering, not for the entire project, and not by the hour. At every step the client can see real prog
by gregjor 3y ago
Break the project up into clear deliverables. Charge for delivering, not for the entire project, and not by the hour. At every step the client can see real progress and you have something tangible to bill for.
I have freelanced for 15 years, never had a client refuse to pay. Big companies with bureaucratic payables systems can take time to pay, you have to anticipate that, typically net 30 days.
Retainer arrangements also work well if you have a long-term relationship with the client. You get into their payables system as a recurring fixed cost, rather than an irregular invoiced amount.
- donnie12345 3y agoDo you demand some upfront payment from clients?
- gregjor 3y agoI don’t demand anything from customers. Generally I don’t ask for an up-front payment. I commit to a simple deliverable to get started. My rule of thumb says never get into a position where a customer owes me a lot of money, or I owe the customer a lot of work. What “a lot” means depends on the situation. I avoid customers who give me a bad first impression: unrealistic, pushy, stingy, unpleasant, doing something borderline shady. You get a nose for them. The agency that represents me as a freelancer asks for a deposit from new customers, to establish the relationship and get ahead of the billing cycle. But I only get paid when I deliver and the customer agrees.