I used to feel weird about asking for a deposit, but after getting burned once (client ghosted after demo—never again), I made it non-negotiable. If someone balks at a deposit, that’s a red flag for me. Sure, I’ve lost a couple jobs because of it, but honestly, the stress of chasing payments isn’t worth it. You’re running a business, not a charity. Most folks who are serious about the work get it and don’t push back.
I get where you’re coming from, but honestly, I’ve had a couple clients who were super wary about deposits—turned out they’d been burned by contractors before. Sometimes I’ll do a small milestone payment instead of a big upfront chunk. Not everyone’s out to ghost you... some folks just need a little reassurance.
Sometimes I’ll do a small milestone payment instead of a big upfront chunk.
- That’s pretty much what I’ve landed on too. Smaller chunks, more checkpoints.
- Honestly, I’ve had folks drag their feet even on milestones though... it’s not foolproof.
- I get the trust thing, but at some point, you gotta protect your own time and cash flow.
- Had one job where the “reassurance” just turned into endless delays—never again.
- Now, I put everything in writing, clear as day. Less room for weirdness later.
Yeah, I’ve had the same problem with milestone payments—sometimes folks just stall out anyway. Do you ever include late fees in your contracts? I started adding a small percentage per week overdue, and it’s cut down on the excuses a bit. Still, there’s always someone who tries to push boundaries...
“there’s always someone who tries to push boundaries...”
- Been there, still there. I swear, some people treat payment terms like a “suggestion” instead of an actual agreement.
- I tried adding late fees too, but all that did was give them a new excuse—“Oh, I didn’t see that part of the contract…” Right.
- My current approach:
- 10% upfront (non-refundable, because lesson learned)
- Clear as day milestones—like, “You pay by Friday or my hammer stays in the van.”
- Late fee clause, but honestly? Collecting it is almost as much hassle as chasing the original payment.
- One time, I even offered a tiny discount for early payment. Only one person ever took me up on it. Guess most folks don’t mind paying extra if they get to procrastinate.
- At this point, I just budget for at least one headache per project. If things go smoothly, it’s a bonus.
If anyone ever finds a magic fix for this, please send it my way… preferably with a bottle of Advil.