My uncle told me to always ask for half up front. It saved my butt.

He said it after I got stiffed on a $500 logo job. Next client wanted a full website. I asked for half the $2,000 before I started. They ghosted after the first payment. Still got $1,000 for the work I did. Would have been zero. Anyone else have a rule that saved them from a bad client?

3 comments

3 Comments

dereks112d ago

Honestly, I've found that asking for a smaller chunk up front, like 25%, works better for me. It feels less scary for new clients and still covers my initial time. What's your payment schedule usually look like?

roberth662d ago

Oh man, @dereks11 is onto something with that 25% idea. I used to do half up front too and it just made everyone nervous... especially with people you haven't worked with before. That smaller first bite gets the project moving without feeling like a huge risk for them. Then I do another 25% at the halfway mark and the last 50% when everything's done. It just... flows better that way.

rileyd432d ago

Used to push for 50% upfront until a client balked. Seeing @dereks11 mention 25% made me try it, and now I get way fewer payment headaches. I split the rest into two parts, one at a big project check-in and the final before delivery.