Re:Freelance Isn't Free Act Passes in NYC
by morgante on Thursday November 24, 2016 @01:11AM
(#13028551)
In many cases it's less a concern of the client not paying (I've literally never had a client do that once I broke out of the <$100/hr market) so much as that an upfront payment is a much stronger signal of commitment to the project. In my experience, clients who haven't yet paid anything are less invested in the process and more likely to delay communication/deliverables.
It's also a consequence of occasionally doing work with startups who, while they have every intention of paying, don't always have rigorous financial controls in place and sometimes end up running into cashflow problems.
I'd flip your analysis on its head: if there's a consultant you're not comfortable with paying upfront, you probably don't want to hire them.
Re:Freelance Isn't Free Act Passes in NYC
by csomar on Thursday November 24, 2016 @11:36AM
(#13031174)
If I'm doing one month work for Thomas, I'll bill him at the end of the month and assume paid.
If I'm doing one week work for Capita21 in Mexico (really picked it at random); I'll ask for "full" up-front payment and divide the project into different milestones.
Let me ask you a question: Was that client a local client? Was it in the USA?
I have no doubt there is a class of client for which this isn't true, but: don't work with those clients. Good rule of thumb: if the median HN reader has heard of a company, that company cannot afford to stiff consultants.