When I say "trouble getting paid", I mean if you have to ask client multiple times for payment and/or if they take longer than 30 days to pay you after you have delivered.

 

Poll and comment please.

I tend not to be too subtle in my extraction techniques.

 

* store all data on a server I own, which they dont have FTP access to

* email them an invoice

* print off a copy of the invoice and take it to the final meeting

* put a date on your invoice

 

if they don't pay after 20 days, tell them that if they haven't paid by 30, you will take their site off the net. If they still don't pay, take it off.

i dont deliver till im paid. minimizes getting stifed

For any kind of freelance work I always found it safest to charge in increments.

 

Client accepts quote and signs contract - Charge them 30% of the entire fee, don't start any work until this clears.

 

Approval to turn design concepts into html - Charge the next 40% of the remaining total fee.

 

Completion of site on a development environment, approved to go live - Charge the rest of the fee. When paid put the site live. Depending on how much you trust the client you may prefer to get the full fee before this stage (so charge 2 x 50% increments) as if they're dodgy they can just download all the html and run.

 

Remember to build a limited time into your contract for revisions, eg - add a certain number of "buffer" hours to your total fee, or tell the client they have up to 12 hours for revisions once the design concept has been submitted and anything more than this is charged at an hourly rate, and anything not used is refunded.

 

Hope that helps

Not generally. I had one very bad bounced cheque experience from a web design project but aside from that I have been very lucky lately. This wasn't always the case; I did have a client in 2006 who was notorious for not paying within 30 days. Thankfully, he got angel funding in 2007 so slow payments are no longer an issue. He tends to get a free pass anyway though because, after 18 months of working together, I know he will eventually come through.

 

Unfortunately, since most of my business is writing, not web design, the expectation is that I deliver projects and am paid at a later date (upon acceptance or publication). This is fairly standard for the writing industry, I suppose because there are some bad writers out there and you wouldn't want to pay for their work sight-unseen.

no, usually if im building a site for example i will host the style sheet on my hosting. its never happened but if i dont get paid i delete the styles.

they can nick the styles quite easily if they are somewhat web savvy.

Staged payments, and building solid client relationships throughout the lifecycle of the project usually keeps me fairly well protected from payment problems.

they can nick the styles quite easily if they are somewhat web savvy.

 

ive never worked with anyone who knows what a style sheet is yet

To be honest i'v never had problems with getting payments from clients, I always ask for a percentage first then the remainder when the project has been completed.

 

So far so good, but I won't hold my breath.

It's not been a problem for me (so far at least). I usually get something like 30 or 50% up front, then once the final product is done, I don't actually deliver the files until I've received payment in full. None of my clients have minded this arrangement so far, and it has yet to fail me.

I chose "No, not at all" although it's not 100% accurate. The only time I have had trouble is when doing sites for friends. I have since stopped that practice because I hate having to confront friends. I still have one that owes me money and another pays me on time now since I had to send a warning of closing his site down if I didn't receive payment. So, regular clients, no problem as of yet. Friends + business just hasn't mixed very well in the past.

well it's really great if you use a contract. i use one, and always request 50% money upfront and 50% after i finish job. sometimes i've had some problems with clients that didnt had money in their account at those exact dates, but in few days they've paid me. anyway, one advice: don't do anything for free.. as you may be kicking yourself if they constantly want changes.