A solid contract should be at the top of the list. At the very minimum it should cover exactly how your work, the responsibilities of both parties, what's incl

A solid contract should be at the top of the list. At the very minimum it should cover exactly how your work, the responsibilities of both parties, what's included and not included in the scope and exactly how/when you get paid. Then, make sure your client and all their employees understand the terms. This has saved me an incredible amount of pain.